


Follow You to the Stars (and Beyond)

by navaan



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Eventual Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Infinity Gems, Jealous Steve Rogers, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Tony Stark, Outer Space, Post-Canon, Retirement, Slow Romance, Space Road Trip, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 01:58:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 36,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16734861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: In the aftermath of saving the world from Thanos, a new era is dawning for the team called Avengers. Steve has stepped down as Captain America, Tony has taken a space vacation - and he too is making plans for his retirement. What better time than now to take a road trip through space?





	1. Future Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of fun discussing _Avengers: Infinity War_ with ireallyshouldbedrawing after we both saw it and this story spun out of some of the discussions we had -- about how Tony would love space travel if he had the time to enjoy it and about the possible retirement of our heroes. Thank you so much for working with me on this! It was as always fun working with you and you gave me so many cool ideas. <3
> 
> Big, big thank yous go to faite for betaing the first part and to takamei for reading and encouragement an for pazithi for betaing the second part that's still a bit of a mess. Thank you so much guys!! All remaining messes and mistakes are mine!!
> 
> [  
>  Art by ireallyshouldbedrawing Her art masterpost is here.](LINK)(Link to masterpost to be added later)

Outside the window hung the planet like a dark mass of matter that had never seen light. It was a class M planet with breathable atmosphere, but Tony had no intention of going down just yet to test it. The computers were running all possible checks behind him and to his left, Carol stood in her red and blue suit and mask, watching the proceedings like this was an everyday occurrence to her -- which knowing her better now, it probably was.

“We can go down have a look,” she suggested.

And despite not being in a hurry he suddenly realize that _was_ what he wanted to do. Get down there. Explore. See what this planet was made of.

Tony made a half turn to look at Thor, who stood with his arms folded behind the both of them surveying the scene. A smile was playing on his lips, and to Tony, it felt as if it were the brightest thing on this bridge. It stood out, infectious, speaking of all the days of adventure that were still to come. Some of it echoed inside Tony and he smiled with the welling of excitement.

This was what hope felt like.

This little dark planet was hope and a new beginning and he was here to be part of it.

“I am Groot,” the tree teenager added from behind them. Groot and Gamora were the only Guardians currently with them on the bridge of the little pod-like ship. Nebula was keeping to the side, often only comfortable with Gamora and Tony, like her place had never really been here or anywhere. Tony understood that, found that despite all the obvious and less obvious differences he and Nebula shared many of their issues.

“And rightly so,” Thor replied to Groot, being one of the people who understood the nuances in the tree’s speech without fail. Tony himself was only starting to picking up on some of the language. It had taken him about a week of traveling with Quill and his people and he still wouldn't have been able to explain _how_ it worked. He just knew he was starting to understand.

His best guess right now was that Groot had complimented the little dark ball down there. Right now it hung in darkness, but Tony knew there was a small sun hidden behind the mass with its four moons.

Suddenly he wanted more than measurements and scans.

“So, this is it?” Tony asked and made a step forward to get a better look of the dark planet before them.

“This is it.” Thor looked proud.

“Will be,” Valkyrie who had positioned herself to the far end of the viewing window corrected. “It’s where we start.”

Thor nodded, smiled at her. “A new Asgard.”

Tony watched it for a minute more. “Tell me again how you won this planet in a card game,” he said without looking at anyone but addressed Thor and Nebula directly, who were at the heart of that particular mystery.

“Not much to tell,” Nebula said and looked straight ahead. It brought a grin to Tony’s face immediately, because now he knew there was so much more to the story there.

“It was glorious,” Thor said with the graveness that meant he was getting ready to tell the legend of their heroic deeds with much pride and enjoyment.

“I hope so,” Tony agreed and beside him Carol chuckled.

“They won it on Trespcor. It’s famous for the kind of gambling that comes at outrageous stakes.”

“You went to Vegas without me,” Tony said in a mockingly accusing tone.

“You would have done the same.” Thor gave him a wicked grin and they both knew they were on the same page here. The whole trip had let him see a Thor that reminded him of the earlier days when his broad shoulders had been less tense. Now he was king of a people who had lost everything and could now start rebuilding because they had finally defeated Thanos.

“At Rocket’s suggestion? Yeah, yeah, I probably would have. Let’s not kid ourselves, the little rascal knows where to find the best stuff. No hard feelings. You won a planet while I was off sightseeing on a jungle planet and I still loved everything about that, so you’re graciously forgiven oh, King of the Dark Ball of Dirt.” He waved his hand around to indicate they were moving on. “Now show me. Why is this it? What makes it the amazing Asgard Two?”

“New Asgard,” Valkyrie corrected, just as Thor interjected: “Asgard.”

“Alright, let’s leave the naming to the storytellers, I get it. We're no poets. After all we named ourselves the Revengers...”

Thor's proud laughter filled the bridge, cutting Tony short.

And finally FRIDAY announced: “Scans completed. Core stable. Gravity at 93% Earth gravity. Atmosphere breathable. Water and ice detected on the northern hemisphere.”

“And four moons,” Tony added, “what more could you want? That's plenty. More than you’ll need -- and that is very decidedly not an invitation to throw one at me. Been there, done that. Doesn’t keep me down.”

Thor laughed like have a moon thrown at you was pretty much the equivalent of a snowball fight. But then Tony had seen the man wrestle giants for fun, be stomped into the ground and get up laughing. Thor enjoyed a challenge.

“So can we go out? I'm aching to take the armor for a spin around the new world.”

“Why are you so impatient all of a sudden, Tony?” Carol smirked at him. “Do you plan to become a citizen of Asgard? Or its king?”

“Sorry, this is my first terraforming and colonization project, Danvers. And I’m going to damn well enjoy it. This may all be normal to you guys, but hell, this boy has dreamed about exactly this kind of adventure.”

Truth was, this wasn’t the plan and hadn’t ever _been_ the plan. This planet was an opportunity that had sprung up along the way of an earned vacation. Tony was here because after his years of fearing what lurked in the darkness of space, a time had arrived to _meet_ it with all the curiosity of an explorer. Nebula had offered him a less grief-stricken road trip, Thor had offered himself as a guide to the weirdness of the universe, Carol had readily offered to show him where she'd spent her off-planet life, and even Quill and his crew had been happy enough to show him how much space had to offer. Now Thor had found a place to build a new home for the survivors of old Asgard.

And Tony was glad he was here to witness it: the beginning of something new.

“Let’s get going then,” Carol suggested. She was only here for another few days before she would return to Earth and make sure the Avengers were doing fine. After all, she was their leader now. “If science stuff is what you want to do for your vacation, that’s up to you. I’d rather race someone around the planet for now and see what it’s made of.”

The gleam in Thor’s eyes did not escape Tony's notice as nanites had started to bring up the armor around him. Seemed like he wasn’t going to race Carol alone.

 _Yes_ , he decided when he exited the spaceship and saw his friends speed towards the planet, _this is what hope feels like. And I wouldn't want to miss it for the world._

This was shaping up to be his most memorable vacation yet.

* * *

_PLANET EARTH - one month later_

Thor brought Tony back to Earth through the Bifrost and it was strange to appear on the perfect lawn in front of the Avengers Compound -- that had housed him for months, that he had rebuilt and remodelled twice by now -- and think: _Ah, it could be so much better._

His fingers itched to get right on that, but he knew that was partly because he had been chasing all things interesting and new nonstop for weeks. _Space_ , when it wasn't where Thanos and his chitauri were lurking to bring death and destruction to your home, was the most exciting place for discovery. And as much as Tony liked the feeling of coming home, part of him already knew he wasn't going to stay.

The little science voice in the back of his mind wasn't shutting up about opportunities.

And he'd seen the news: Carol was doing good. Wanda was doing better than ever. Vision had evolved so much he needed no babysitter or mentor –- and if he did, he would probably turn to his beautiful and powerful fiancée Wanda. Even Peter had had more than just a growth spurt -- he had _grown_. He was going to be the hero Tony had known he could be.

And they weren't alone. Wakanda was on the map now. "Captain America" had become an unit instead of an individual with Wilson, Barnes and Romanoff stepping up...

The thought trailed off when he and Thor approached the main entrance and Rhody stood there beside a grinning Carol, dressed in her uniform as always. They were waiting to meet them, and behind them Peter was skittishly lurking in his new Spider-Man suit, unmasked and waiting for his chance to say something. 

And beside him stood Steve, face calm and composed, arms folded in front of his chest, wearing a casual combination of jeans and t-shirt.

His treacherous heart lurched painfully, because Tony had half-expected Steve not to be here anymore.

After all Steve had passed on the mantle, cowl and shield to give himself the chance to live a little and it looked like the new “Team Captain America” consisting of Sam, Barnes and Romanoff gave no reasons for complaints. They were doing a great job and even Tony had to admit it grudgingly.

“Tones,” Rhodey greeted and he as grinning so widely that ever fiber in Tony's being was suddenly screaming at him that he was home, “Carol tells me she raced you around moons and beat you twice.”

An answering grin, slightly shaky, formed on Tony's lips. But Thor beat him to an answer: “In his defense, the lady cheated.”

Tony cocked his head from side to side and then made a weighing motion with his hands and said: “I'm not sure that's what happened, but it makes for a fun story. I'm sure she told you Thor won a planet in a card game?”

“Yeah,” Rhodey said with a nod, “and that you and Nebula went to explore uncharted territories for two weeks and everybody got worried because you weren't checking in.”

“We found the best beach resort in the history of space,” he said, “I'm not sorry. This was my vacation.”

Carol laughed. “And I'm sure you found more wonderful things on New Asgard.”

“Asgard Two,” Tony corrected.

“ _Asgard_ ”, Thor said with finality and probably noticed exactly how Carol and Tony's faces lit up with mirth.

She winked at Tony and he grinned wider. “I should get to name the moons. After all I'm the winner of the first New Asgardian Moon Grand Prix.”

“You'll get to name one moon,” Thor said jovially, “if you win fairly next time.”

The bickering started between the two of them for real then, and Tony really hadn't gone long enough without it to miss it, but he realized that it too had come to feel like home.

Rhodey patted his shoulder and then pulled him into a strong-armed hug. “You have to tell me all about it, man.”

“All,” Tony promised, returning the hug in kind. James Rhodes had always been his anchor -- at college, during the good years, the bad years, the worse years, the better years. Tony owed him all the stories. “How’ve you been doing?”

“Not as exciting here,” he said and winked at Carol, whose eyes sparkled in answer. Obviously they’d had enough time to develop a kind of rapport between them.

“He’s joking. We have a new supervillain each week.”

“Sometimes two,” Peter quipped and it was all too clear that he was bursting with all the things he wanted to say.

And he had braved keeping silent for longer than Tony would have ever managed at any time in his life -- let alone as a teenager. The boy had really earned the attention. Tony leaned to the side to peer past Rhodey’s shoulder and gave Peter a huge grin. He’d seen his most recent moment of heroics that Carol had sent it over. The kid was doing him proud.

“Two, huh?” Tony asked, his eyes bright. “Handled them fine, did you?”

“Peter has been doing great,” Steve spoke up from the side and Peter blinked up at him surprised, his chest swelling with the praise of one of their greatest heroes.

Tony wanted to chuckle. But his eyes met Steve’s and suddenly it didn't feel appropriate. They were friends. When Tony had left for his little vacation, things had been good between them for once. They had even lived in the Compound together after Tony and Pepper split up for the last and final time, and it had worked better than the times he’d been forced to live with Rhodey.

Then Steve had been in the process of deciding if he wanted to pick up the shield again.

After his injury.

After they’d defeated Thanos for the final time.

Tony had spent quite a bit of time sitting at his bedside in the hospital. But so had everyone else.

“Steve,” he greeted him with a nod, unsure why that, despite Steve’s friendly smile, was what set him on edge. The tension was unmistakable.

_What did I do? Is he angry? What’s it this time? I wasn’t even here? Surely, I haven’t mastered the art of pissing people off when I’m out of their hair yet? Not even me..._

But Steve seemed to relax after the greeting and quietly watched asas the grand story of Spider-Man’s exciting defense of New York city bubbled out of Peter and Tony patted him on the shoulder encouragingly. Steve made no attempt to interrupt them. Perhaps he too felt that Peter had been uncharacteristically patient long enough and it was his turn to get Tony’s attention. Perhaps he understood that Tony was trying hard to be a good role model, the kind that Tony himself had lacked growing up, and had hoped the boy would get his turn sooner. Whatever it was, now Steve seemed to be happy enough to simply watch their reunion and keep quiet.

Tony listened, nodded, asked the right questions -- the way he had wished his father had ever known how to do -- and started walking himself and Peter into the Compound. He wasn’t going to do all of this out here where random drones could see everything they were doing.

Rhodey and Carol and Thor were still busy bickering like old friends and made no move to follow.

But a quiet presence at his back told him that Steve was trailing behind him and Peter. Steve was accompanying them.

And as they walked along the glass walls of the entrance hall, their shadows long in the afternoon sun, Peter barely pausing to breath as he described his encounter with some Octopus-Person and a Moth-Guy, Tony felt that the moment was tinged with the warm glow of nostalgia. This was good and familiar, like a welcoming cocoon he could lose himself in.

But this world no longer needed him.

Earth had new protectors.

It could survive without Iron Man.

He put an arm around Peter’s shoulder and squeezed. “Sounds like you’re Earth’s Mightiest Hero now.”

Peter blushed.

“Maybe give it a few years before you challenge Danvers to a moon race,” Tony advised, “but you’ll get there.”

“To the moon!?”

“To _a_ moon. You went to an alien planet already...”

He had to laugh because despite Titan, Infinity Stones and breaking the world twice over and fixing it against all odds, Peter still looked out of his depth at the prospect of going _to the moon_. But that was alright. That was what they dealt with: overcoming the feeling of not being up for the task and saving the whole damn world and the fucking universe on top of that if needed. That’s what made heroes.

Peter would be great. He already was.

Yes, Tony thought, things had shaped up as he’d hoped. Now it was time to take a leaf from Steve’s book and find something new to do with himself and Iron Man.

Steve had caught up to them and was walking at Tony’s side now, throwing him a furtive glance. “Still work to do till Asgard shines again?”

“Thor has his work cut out for him, yes.”

Tony wasn’t sure how to read the pleased grin he earned in answer.

But he knew one thing: he hadn’t yet had enough of talking about the stars. He’d seen so much and yet there was so much left to explore. He wanted to share excitement -- and yet he already felt the pull to return and see more.

* * *

Pepper came by two days later while he was puttering around the workshop. FRIDAY was projecting the 3D schematics of the Quinjet Model DVII over his work table and Pepper -- still in possession of all his pass codes and special permissions -- gave it a short glance as she walked in.

“How have you been there, stranger?” she asked when he looked up and there was no real tension, although they were both trying to gauge the other’s reaction. It was the first time they were alone since they called off wedding a few month back. The world had been in shambles and there had been too much to do to wallow in misery.

And things had worked out, right?

“Good,” he said easily, shrugging his shoulders. He had decided from the beginning that, while their relationship hadn’t always been smooth sailing and the things they wanted out of it had often not lined up as perfectly as he’d hoped, he wasn’t going to lose Pepper’s friendship too. They were on the same page here and there was no need for hard feelings. “Brought home some new ideas and new equations that’ll help Stark Industries keep the Avengers going for another century.”

“That’s our main goal now?” She didn’t sound surprised or put off. It was her company now in more ways than it had ever been his and she had her own plans or it. The Avengers? That was _his_ project.

“Not the main goal,” he amended. He flicked his finger to let her look at some of the projects he’d started while away and watched her eyes wander over them, saw the widening and narrowing of her eyes as she went through them, started scrolling with her finger on the holographic display.

“That’s amazing, Tony. And that’s just from one trip to space?”

“Yup, Pep, just the one trip. There’s technology out there like you wouldn’t believe. Also life. So much life. We should work with Thor on his new kingdom, by the way. The terraforming options are amazing. So much to learn there.”

“They’re not using magic?” Pepper had stopped on some of the notes for possible medical equipment he’d made. He knew that this was the kind of research she favored as Stark Industries had already firmly established its place in that field.

He chuckled. “Hard to say, but I’m leaning no.”

“So they _are_ using magic?” Up until now she had avoided looking up, keeping her eyes firmly on the projects and papers, schematics. Now she looked up and right at him and this time she focused on him with that look that said _I know you, Mister. Don’t try to fool me._

“It’s technology and science that, in many parts, makes sense when you actually get behind it. It’s also the kind of mystical crap Doctor Strange talks about when you let him. But remember he was a surgeon. He understood science when he went to magic. Every thought that was why it was so easy for him?”

Her expression showed her disbelief. “Are you saying you went to space for a little vacation and found awesome inspiration that’ll keep our company going for ages -- _and_ you found a higher power to believe in?”

“God, no.” He grinned. “I found lots of gods there. But as fond as I am of Thor… No.”

“You had me worried there for a moment. You’ve been nothing but Iron Man and busy with rebuilding the world and the Avengers since Thanos and suddenly, there’s this spark. No crisis, but something that is all ideas and invention. I think I haven’t seen this since before...”

She stopped, biting her lips. She’d seen it then, what she called the spark. And he knew what she was _not saying_ \-- that this was something of the “old” Tony, something she’s cited occasionally when she’d told him what their lives could've been like without Iron Man. She had tried hard to teach him that he’d never been a bad person, that his way of dealing with depression and issues of self-worth would run haywire before he’d found a mission and a reason to challenge it.

He grinned. “It’s just so amazing. Everything that’s out there. I can’t even describe it, Pepper.”

His darkest nightmares had centered on space and Thanos and she knew something about his fears -- even though he had never given her all the details. The sleepless nights, the insomnia, the anxiety and constant need to build, enhance and develop the armor had been a strain on their relationship then. She had tried to make him talk, tried to help, and had blamed most of it on Iron Man and the dangers of the life he had chosen. Sometimes she'd gotten close to understanding.

But he had never told her of the details -- Thanos, the army, the true dangers lurking out there. Because he'd hoped she'd never have to know, that if he prepared well enough it would never become a true threat.

And there was nobody who understood that now -- with Thanos gone and Earth safe -- for the first time in year Tony could look at the stars and think of exploration, hope and freedom. There was a whole universe out there that held secrets -- and the good kind of secrets.

The ones you didn't keep out of fear but wanted to _unravel_.

Inventions, building the future, finding solutions to problems -- that was part of who he was, who he'd always been. And space... space had looked like it held answers to some of the questions he hadn't known to ask yet.

“You look happy, Tony,” Pepper said suddenly. “Excited. I'm glad. I thought it was a crazy idea, but the vacation did you some good.”

“Yes, it was good.” He didn't want to admit that there had been moments when he'd considered prolonging it, and prolonging it, and that now that he was back and everyone was telling him how much he'd been missed and how much he was needed here, the more he was thinking about the wonders out there.

He hadn't really considered staying out there. There was too much responsibility waiting for him on Earth.

Right?

But was that still true?

Pepper was letting her fingers glide along the workbench as she walked up to the new coffee machine he'd set up in the corner. “Have you talked to Steve yet?”

To someone who hadn't known her as long and as intimately as he has, the question might have seemed innocuous enough, but Tony immediately wondered why she was asking about Steve -- not Rhodey, not Bruce, not Natasha, not Nick Fury or Happy. No, she was asking about Steve, who the whole world knew he'd made up with during the biggest crisis in world history, and after the biggest -- and very publicly violent -- falling out in the comparatively short record of superhero existence. School books would discuss them and their roles in the dawn of superheroism. What were historians make of it? What would politics allow kids to learn about it?

And why was Pepper asking about it _now_? He and Steve were good. There was still some tension,but they got along better than ever before.

“I've talked to everybody including general Ross. I'm very proud of _not_ putting him on hold and listening to a whole 30 minute tirade about what the Avengers duties should be.”

“You listened? You didn't just tell him that you worked out a deal with the UN to make sure nobody thought the US was treating the Avengers like government-owned superhero army. You don’t have to listen to him anymore.”

He beamed. “I know, but he doesn’t. I've been keeping that up my sleeve for later. He'll learn about it right along everyone else.”

She had stepped around the table to reach him and he was surprised when her arms came up to hug him. It wasn't the first hug since their final break-up, but this one was different. This wasn't just a reaffirmation of their friendship, of their continued ability to work together. “Don't go back to hiding in your work, Tony. You wanted a family and I'm still sorry that...”

That she hadn't believed he could do it all: be Iron Man, an Avenger and a devoted family man and father.

He still thought one wouldn't necessarily have precluded the other.

The greatest irony, perhaps, was that being with Pepper had taught him to own up to the person he was and let the world in a little more, and that maybe their relationship had ended because he wasn't willing to give up part of who he was. To her, Iron Man -- the armor -- remained a symbol of the walls he'd built to keep people out, when to him Iron Man was an integral part of who he was, a symbol of how far he'd come.

“Don't be sorry, Pep,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We're good. I'm good. I'm talking to the rest of the team. It's all good...”

When she pulled away she didn't look like she believed him.

“Just don't be lonely. You never worked well when you isolated yourself.”

“Sure, sure,” he said. “I haven't had time to argue with Steve yet if that's what you were worried about.”

She shook his head with a sad smile. “No, that's not what I was worried about. I was just wondering if retirement was working out for him. Rhodey is telling me he's still living here after all.”

Tony hadn't asked. Not really.

He supposed that meant he and Steve hadn't really talked yet. Not properly. Not alone. Not about anything but his space vacation.

“I've brought the papers you wanted to go over,” she finally said and sat down at the work table, clearing a bit of space for herself. “You want to talk about it now?”

“Yes,” he said immediately. “It's been on my mind a lot.”

She drew up a document for him to review on one of his screens while she prepared the actual papers.

“The lawyers are proposing some changes, but we need to go over what you really want to do with this before I make any final suggestions.”

 _Maria Stark Foundation_ read the first heading. It was the proper name for his idea. After all, in a tragic way his mother had been a casualty in one of the world's secret wars that nobody had known about. The foundation would help deal with the damages done during Avengers missions, but would also be open for people to ask for assistance in other instances of superpowered fallout too. New York alone had seen three alien invasions in a decade.

But more importantly, the foundation would keep the Avengers running even after Tony Stark was out of the picture.

He nodded and started to go over what their lawyers had drawn up.

“Thank you for getting this started, Pepper,” he said absentmindedly.

“I knew how important it is to you.” She shuffled her papers and waited for him to make his comments.

* * *

Tony was standing in his office, hands in the pockets of his grey Tom Ford pants, watching through the curtain walls as the announced Quinjet came out of stealth. He admired his own invisibility tech as the jet suddenly appeared over their small landing pad and set down with precision. Tony expected Natasha was flying.

The Quinjet maneuvered into the spot, leaving Tony to wonder how big a new model with enhanced space capabilities would have to be. Their current models were sturdy enough to leave Earth's atmosphere, but they didn't have enough space to carry what would be needed for interstellar travel...

“Always a sight isn't she? But now comes the best part.”

He turned to find Steve leaning in the doorway of his office, arms crossed in front of his chest, and smiling.

“She's a sight, yeah,” Tony agreed. Of course, he was also filing away all the unfamiliar additions and changes to his original design. At least three weren't elegant enough to be of Wakandan origin, and he wondered when the new-old SHIELD had established an old-new relationship with Captain America.

Steve walked up to the window, half leaning against the desk as they watched the hatch opening and the three passengers stepping out. Barnes was sporting a slightly darker version of the old Captain America uniform and he was carrying a triangular variation of the shield design, while Sam had a new, round Vibranium shield that T'Challa had provided. His costume was an interesting mix of Cap's old uniform design and the Falcon technology. Both Barnes and Wilson had taken the name “Captain America” for themselves and looked the part, especially now walking down the runway towards the Compound as if this was a photo op. In Tony's mind, Sam cut the better figure though, in part because his costume made it clear that he wasn't just walking in Steve's footsteps -- he was the legacy, the next step in what Captain America would be to future generations. For her part, Natasha was wearing something a lot more subtle -- dark blue with muted white highlights, closer to her old suit than any traditional Captain America outfit, and the only red she was showing off was in her bright red locks. In an interview she had stated she was the agent on support duty and, with her own status as non-national, wouldn't be comfortable taking the name. Some papers had started calling her “Lady Liberty” regardless and Tony found it terribly corny. He referred to her as Agent Romanoff in all communication and she seemed fine with that.

“Where's her shield?” he asked and looked sideways at Steve who, in his clean tight fitting t-shirt and jeans, looked like someone who'd learned to dress his age. Someone really needed to thank Natasha for her influence on their favorite poster boy -- who was no longer their favorite poster boy, now that he'd chosen to try his hand at civilian life.

After all that had happened, who deserved a new start more than Steve?

Why was he here watching the Captain Americas then?

“She has the bracer shields,” Steve explained and curled his arm up and made a fist, indicating the kind of shield that he'd been using during the fight with Thanos in Wakanda and nicely showing off his muscles. “Just less claw-y and more...”

“Widow-y?”

“Shield-like.”

Tony had no idea what that meant and hadn't yet seen her shields in action either. He wasn’t an expert on shields of that kind -- which was perhaps an oversight for someone who ran around like a knight shut into shiny armor.

“I'm sure she owns it. Sam does,” he said and decided to not comment on Barnes for both of their sakes.

Steve just nodded and looked over at Tony, still with that tiny smile that could mean so many things. Silence was never uncomfortable with Steve, and Tony was sure there was no ulterior motive that had led Steve to seek him out here. He couldn't help but wonder though: “So, what's your role in this?” He nodded out at Team America.

“I'm retired,” Steve said and grinned wider. “And a friend.”

“Ah,” Tony said and nodded. “Offering friendly advice when needed and otherwise keeping out of their hair?”

Which described what he'd been trying to do since he was back: staying on the sidelines and letting the team do what they'd come to do without him, to see what they had learned and what exactly they needed from him. He was still figuring it out, but it seemed more and more like Carol and Rhodey had things in hand.

“More like punching them during training when they get too cocky in the field, but yeah, advice is what we call it.” Steve's pleased grin made Tony laugh. 

“I wonder who's getting cocky here. Natasha could you down any day of the week.”

“If she put her mind to it, yeah.”

“She doesn't?”

“Not yet.”

“All of these shields are new, aren't they?” Tony asked and considered the paint job on the round shield Sam was carrying. “Where's yours?”

“In my room,” Steve admitted. “I gave it away because it wasn't mine anymore and now that you -- now that I have it back, I'm sentimental. Saved my life more times than I can count. That one stays with me.”

 _Now that you gave it back_ , Steve had been about to say. Whether the shield was serving as a token of their reconciliation or a reminder of the war they'd fought -- or whether Steve had really just grown emotionally attached to the shield that had, for all intents and purposes, been his most iconic weapon for so many years -- wasn't really that important. Tony felt it belonged with Steve so he wouldn't be arguing the point.

“You are a bit sentimental,” he agreed instead.

The three Caps had vanished from his field of view, probably on the way to the showers or the dressing rooms downstairs to get rid of their gear. “I don't think I've asked you about your plans yet,” Tony said and joined Steve at the desk, shifting his weight onto it beside him.

“Actually, I was about to ask for your plans,” Steve countered and let his gaze sweep over the office that was tidy with the exception of the desk, where Tony had deposed every missive that had come in for all the devices he'd been carrying when he got in. Even the small Avengers communicator that Tony had handed all current team members before he'd headed out to space was laying at the edge of the desk. Steve hadn't asked for one, so Tony was keeping his in the workshop downstairs, wondering if he should just reset it for the next team member that would inevitably get recruited in the next months or years. Hell, even Mantis had indicated interest to stay on Earth for a while, now that Nebula had gone off on her own again “to clean up after herself.”

It seemed wrong though, to hand over something he'd made for Steve to someone else. Perhaps he could give it to him after he'd made up his mind where Tony Stark would go from here.

“Tony?”

Realizing he'd ignored Steve and got lost in his own thoughts he looked up. “Yeah?”

“Do you have plans?”

“I always have plans... I just...” _Haven't decided what I'm going to do next._

“I meant today,” Steve said with a slight quirk in his mouth. “In the next hours. Are you free? Do you have plans? Appointments to keep?”

“Unforeseen alien invasions and supervillain attacks notwithstanding,” he replied and deliberately ignored the little yellow light on his smartphone that indicated a missed call from General Ross, “I have no plans today that go beyond spending some time in my personal R&D department.”

“Good, I hope that means I can get you to have lunch with me. I was about to head out.”

“Lunch?” He blinked, realized Steve planned to have lunch _not_ in their kitchen as if that was a foreign concept to him, and then realized that, before Steve had brought it up, he hadn't considered leaving the Compound. He'd gotten back three days ago and he hadn't done anything but catch up and process the results of his trip. Suddenly he _missed_ the world.

“Tony?” Steve asked and cocked his head to the side when no answer was forthcoming _again_. “I can go alone if you'd rather...”

“Let's go,” he said before Steve could change his mind. “I haven't had decent New York pizza in ages.”

“I figured,” Steve said and laughed, not disclosing what kind of food he'd thought of when he'd decided to take Tony out for lunch but gesturing for the door.

Tony grabbed his jacket and cell phone, tinkered slightly with his sunglasses, and didn't wait to be asked again.

He didn't even wait for Steve to lead the way but started walking, sure that the other man would catch up with him. “Do you have a car?”

“Bike,” Steve said.

“You wanted me to ride shotgun?”

“It's an option.” Steve had the grace to look slightly sheepish in his amusement. Apparently even a master strategist didn't plan everything through.

“You're lucky you're so sweet, Steve, and I'm very hungry.”

“I am lucky,” Steve agreed and Tony wondered if he was imagining the hint of flush on his cheeks _because_ Tony was finally spending some time with one of the people he'd missed the most -- not that admitting that was on the table. “Because you have a garage full of cars. We could take out a different one every day and still wouldn't be driving the same one by next Tuesday.”

“True,” Tony agreed. “Are you asking me to have lunch out with you every day? Is this high school? Do we have a lunch arrangement now? Did someone do something to our kitchen?”

“Nothing's wrong with the kitchen. But having lunch with you sounds nice.”

“You like the fast cars,” Tony concluded as they marched into the elevator.

“Yeah, I like them, too.” Steve pushed the button to the garage and looked startled when it activated with his fingerprint and without any sort of authorization.

Tony looked away before their eyes could meet. “If we're going to have Italian food, we should take out an Italian car.”

“You chose the food,” Steve said with the air of someone striking an important deal, “I choose the car.”

He didn't mind for all about four minutes until Steve had picked the vehicle and Tony realized Steve expected to be the one driving. He was about to discover that Steve enjoyed driving fast cars as much as trusted army bikes. Keeping up the facade, he grumbled about not being the one in the driver's seat, but after Steve had taken them out of the Compound he leaned back, mind returning to all the enhancements he was planning for the new generation of Quinjets.

Steve drove the unnecessarily long route and Tony found himself enjoying even that far too much.

New York was something.

He'd missed it and he hadn't even known how much before Steve complained about traffic with an air of happiness that equaled Tony's.

“Are you still looking for a place in Brooklyn?” Tony asked when they'd arrive and Steve led him to a small Italian restaurant that looked like it might have been around since the 40s.

“No,” Steve admitted. “Things change a lot. As long as nobody is throwing me out of the Compound I'd like to stay.”

“Despite retirement? Don't you want to live the simple life?”

“Like Clint? Family and farm?”

Tony shrugged. It still stung a little that he had wanted all these things with Pepper and failed at it. “With the right person, maybe?”

Steve held the door open for him as if he were a dutiful bodyguard or an attentive date. It hadn't always been like this between them and Tony decided to not point it out but simply enjoy the friendship for what it was. As Steve seemed to know the place better, he let Steve order for him.

Over pizza, Steve told him, “Thor is leaving soon.”

“I know. He has a lot of work ahead and finally a place for his people. You should visit the planet one day. I'm sure it'll be amazing after they're through with it. And the king will gladly give you a tour of his realm. He likes racing people around the planet. We should set a price for the Tour de Asgard.”

Steve's face lit up. He really liked hearing about Asgard and space. “Still sounds strange to me to talk about visiting alien planets with a snap of your finger. Even going to the moon was science fiction when I grew up.”

“Thor doesn't even have to snap,” Tony pointed out and reached for another slice of his admittedly delicious pizza. “If you want to have less snapping, take the scenic route in a spaceship. I can recommend it.”

“That must have been a once in a lifetime experience.”

“Three times in a lifetime now,” he reminded Steve. “With sorting the Infinity Gem thing out and setting the world right. But the first time that I had time to enjoy it.” He caught a small smile on Steve’s face right before Steve reached over to steal a piece of pizza from Tony’s plate. Tony opened his mouth to object and then instead asked, “Is this weird? The two of us? Here? Getting along? It’s not the first time we get along, is it?”

The smile fell and Tony regretted bringing this up. “It’s not the first time. Nice to be at ease, isn’t it.”

“Let’s hope that’s not a once in a lifetime thing,” Tony said and raised his glass that held cider instead of red wine, because he was going to be the one to drive back, thank you very much.

“Yes,” Steve said and clinked their glasses together, “not a once in a lifetime thing.”

* * *

Thor left. They took him out to their lawn, stood in a circle and waved goodbye as he left a new circle of awesome Bifrost power in the green, green grass.

“You have to come to visit,” he reminded Tony and Carol. “Banner, there's always room for you in Asgard, remember that.”

“Taking my chances here for now. Ross doesn't scare me.”

“That's because he's after me right now,” Tony added and winked at Thor. The new Accords deal Tony had struck on a base of multinational liaising with the UN had cut both Ross and that new organization that called itself SHIELD out of running the Avengers for the moment. On top of it, now they had the Maria Stark Foundation at their back.

When Thor was gone and the Avengers had scattered one by one again, only Steve and Tony were left standing there at the circle. “Have you decided what to do yet, Cap?”

“Not really, no. For now, I'm okay teaching Spider-Man how to do hand-to-hand combat and taking it one day at a time.”

“Sounds good, champ. Don't take SHIELD up on their offer.”

“You know?”

“I only know what they don't secure well enough on purpose,” Tony said and opened his arms wide in a deescalating gesture. “Papa Fury knows what breadcrumbs to throw me.”

“I'm not taking them up on their offer. Commander Rogers sounds all wrong and my experiences with SHIELD weren't that good either. I've only just recovered from the injuries and I can still feel the strain. Let me be an old man for a while. Here. Figuring out what my picket fences will look like.”

Steve threw him a long look that perhaps Tony was supposed to read. He had no idea what it meant, but he nodded. At least, Steve didn't sound bored. Perhaps he was at long last learning how to take things slow.

If Tony were to step down _again_ , then he knew he would need something to occupy his time. Something more than simply mentoring the kids.Peter was already stepping beyond that.

Their new kid Kamala, on the other hand, was new to the game, but she was as partial to learning from Carol as she was to letting Tony help her with her math homework when she was here. She was a sweet girl from Jersey and only the next in the new upcoming generation of Teen Avengers.

He took the girl to meet Steve and Peter that very afternoon and tried to listen to the teenagers talk at each other at what was probably 200 miles per hour.

“You're good with kids,” Steve remarked from beside him, watching the young people get to know each other.

“You're the natural-born mentor,” Tony countered.

“Not really, but you and Carol are.”

“Can we have a training session?” Peter asked. “Make teams and...” He waved across the mats in the training room.

“Make teams?” Tony suddenly liked the idea. “Adults crushing the teenage upstarts?”

Peter looked sheepish. “More like...” He gestured between him and Tony.

“Ah,” Steve said. “He wants us to fight again, Tony. As if we haven’t already done enough damage.”

“Because he trusts me to kick your ass.”

“You didn’t do that well last time.”

“Because you cheated.”

“Suit up then?”

“Uh-huh,” he said and watched Steve go to fetch his gear, but as soon as he was out of earshot Tony turned back to both kids. “When he comes back, your job is to take him down so I don't even have to call up the armor. Can you two do that? Help out a guy here?”

There was an immediate cheer and Tony watched with mirth as their eyes started shining in anticipation. Cap would have his work cut out for him here.

Afterward, when Tony had actually suited up to even the odds a bit first for the kids, then for Cap, and had ended up with all three pitted against himself in the end, he treated all of them to ice cream in the Avengers kitchen, opting for a smoothie himself.

“There's going to be good men and women to take over,” Steve whispered.

“Yeah, they're going to be the best Avengers the world has ever seen.”

No nostalgia stung in his words. He honestly believed it. And Steve, who looked flushed and clean after his recent shower, seemed to be happy to be around to see what the future of the team looked like.

Tony was thinking it was time to call in Harley Keener. He had promised him a tour of the Compound if he got up his grades and the boy was impressing him more and more by his understanding of engineering.

“Lunch tomorrow then?” Steve asked.

“Only if I'm driving, old man.”

* * *

For the next weeks, Tony remained preoccupied with his own business. He launched a new project for arc reactor powered cars with better cost-effectiveness. Pepper also welcomed his input in the current line of communications equipment.

He spent nearly a week in R&D in their California plant to set things up and give them a push in the right direction. It had been a while since he'd done hands-on work like this, bouncing ideas with people who were _this_ smart but not part of the superhero-dealing-in-impossibilities-all-the-time-club. He found himself enjoying it much more than he thought and stayed an additional two days when one smart woman proposed enhancing their satellite network.

Suddenly, he found himself not simply talking communications, he was talking _space with the kind of people who heard about it and thought exploration._

When he returned to the Avengers Compound, Steve was out on a field-trip with Wilson and Barnes, Bruce had gone off with their Master of the Mystic Arts to work out his relationship problems with the Hulk, Natasha had decided to stay behind with the team instead but was rarely seen, and Wanda and Vision had gotten over their reluctance to openly share affection. They could be most commonly found in the kitchen holding hands and doing the sort of domestic things that he and Pepper had always tried and failed at.

Tony amused himself by catching up on paperwork and checking the 20 or so messages Peter had left him. Apparently, _his_ science project at school had been a success.

There were two incidents that week that on the Avengers scale of “Calm” to “Universe in Peril” ranged “Minor Incident.” Both times he suited up and went out when called. The first time everything was under control before he and Carol had even reached the site, the second time he caught a helicopter before it could crash into a skyscraper and cause severe damage. By the time he had set it down and made sure all the passengers were alright, Carol, Rhodey and Wanda had taken down the alien threat of the week.

They had indeed become a well-oiled machine and Carol was good at taking the lead.

People cheered for him at the press conference that followed. He waved at the crowd, said his piece, smiled for the cameras. There were all these faces looking up at him, seeing the man who had been instrumental in saving the world.

He made Carol step up to give the rest of their statement and watched her do it.

He returned to his workshop with the satisfied feeling of someone who had watched his legacy grow.

“FRIDAY, give me the newest schematics of our spaceship.”

“Yes, boss.”

He had stopped calling it a new Quinjet in his head. It was his little science vessel, his spaceship. What boy didn't dream about building a spaceship?

“Run another test on the environmental controls.”

“Efficiency up by 12%, boss.”

“Not good enough for manufacturing,” he muttered. “Let's look at what we have learned about gravity controls and send a subspace message to Nebula. Ask her for input on the propulsion enhancement. She knows her way around spaceships.”

“Will do, boss,” FRIDAY promised.

 _Legacy_ , he thought, _is about what we leave behind. It's not about me and it's not about us, it's about tomorrow. And the Avengers are set for whatever tomorrow will bring._

But Tony already had his eyes towards another future that was waiting for him beyond the stars. He'd rebuilt the Stark legacy, rebuilt his own legacy, had even rebuilt the Avengers twice, perhaps he too deserved retirement -- the time to do some of the things he'd put aside to be the responsible man he wanted to become.

Sitting in the half-dark before the blue lined projection of what was his first attempt at a spaceship, he started to highlight and take out parts to inspect, holding the holographic, miniaturized engine for a moment in his hands to inspect it before simply moving it to the trash.

“I think we can do better,” he said. He used both hands to magnify the interior. “And we'll need more space in there. For the sleeping era, living space, lab, storage -- those kinds of things. We don't want to live like Cap and Friends on the run.”

He set the new parameters and watched the systems rearrange, new calculations springing up to tell him how this craft won’t be able to lift off, let alone travel beyond the solar system.

“Did I say storage?” He spun the design around. “Of course, we’ll need a garage.”

He had nothing on it yet, but that would be easily fixed.

“Open a new subfolder, FRIDAY. Project Wheels.”

* * *

To make sure everything was settled, he gave himself weeks to prepare, to make sure all things were in order.

But it was time. He wasn't getting any younger and his body wasn't forgiving the abuse it was taking as Iron Man as easily as it used to. Despite the resets and changes to the timeline, he could still feel the place where Thanos had stabbed him with a piece of his own armor, a phantom ache that never went away. Pepper had always told him to get out before it was too late; now Tony thought it was much more comfortable to retire because younger, stronger heroes made it possible for you to do so.

“Are you sure about this, Tony?”

He stood beside Carol, waving to the crowd, the armor covering him up to the neck, as he introduced her as the new leader of the Avengers. Even this crowd of news-hardened reporters had cheered when he had just let the nanites slip away, the helmet vanishing into the rest of the metal like magic. People loved Iron Man, and the armor that has been described as “bleeding metal,” because he jealous about keeping his secrets as he always was.

He’d slipped on sunglasses and continued waving with the other hand.

“I stepped down before,” he said quietly, leaning slightly towards her and urging her towards the microphone.

The circumstances of that had been very different -- then, he'd felt guilty about Ultron and the destruction that had been wrought by his arrogance; he'd felt guilty and uneasy around Wanda who, in all of this, had not only helped him along the path towards Ultron’s creation and opened old wounds, but also lost her twin; he'd been uneasy around Steve who'd made him feel like nothing he did was good enough, excusable or even understandable and who had doubted him even before he'd fucked up; not least of all, he had wanted to work things out with Pepper, still convinced that making it work with her was making him a better person.

Perhaps it had been unfair for both of them to make their relationship the one thing they measured his growth against.

He felt like he reached a point of growth where he deserved this as much as Carol deserved to shine on her own.

She was already doing a beautiful job of inspiring.

“You're going to do fine,” Tony told her.

“I've not even been part of this planet for decades.”

“That's not what matters, Carol,” he said and grabbed her hand, pulling their locked fingers up as if he was presenting a champion to the masses, or as if they were celebrating a union. “You're human. You're one of us and you gave so much to save this planet. Think about Thor, king of Asgard now. He's one of our greatest and always will be. It's not about where you lived, or where your powers come from. It's who you are now and what you do next.”

She laughed, shaking her fist together with his in the air, and enjoyed the moment.

“That's pretty profound, Stark. Will you tell me who you are now and what you'll do next?”

Tony looked over his shoulder where Rhodey stood beside Wanda, Vision, Spider-Man and three Caps, and grinned at his best friend. “I'll tell you,” he said and nodded at Rhodey. “You just make sure this planet is safe.”

That same evening, he gave Carol and Rhode a tour of his workshop.

It took her one glance at the latest schematics to know what he was working on. “That's going to be one hell of a spaceship. Where do you plan on going? Asgard again?”

“A little beyond Asgard.”

Rhodey didn't say anything at first. He waited for Carol to make her way around the table and make a few remarks on the design before he even stepped closer to watch them.

“So what's the plan?” she asked.

“Plan?”

Carol shrugged. “Retirement. Another space vacation. Science beyond the stars. I know you're a futurist, so I guess this whole Thanos thing has made you realize that the future may be out there. Want a map? I can mark down some places to visit, some to avoid. And, of course, I'd like to know how we can reach you when you're out there. In case we need you earlier than you decide to end the vacation.”

He beamed. “I'd like a map if you have one to give, Danvers.”

She was the most amazing sight with her fresh face and the brightly-colored suit of Captain Marvel. Just knowing how much power she possessed was humbling.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” she said before sauntering off, patting Rhodey on the shoulder before leaving. The two of them were already behaving like old friends.

Silence fell as soon as the sound of her steps had disappeared down the stairs. Rhodey was considering the schematics of the new design, let his eyes roam across the glass cases that held old armors, across the workbench where he'd left a design of what looked like a miniature Mars Rover but would, in fact, be big enough to hold two average sized human beings if necessary. He had pondered downsizing it to an one-person vehicle, but he was sure he wouldn't be alone for long -- if he set out alone at all.

Nebula hadn't checked in since her last message, but he was sure to find her out there. Thor had already promised him an outer space bar crawl if he ever happened to come his way. And Tony hadn't talked to Bruce yet, about his plans.

When Rhodey nodded to himself and then folded his arms in front of his chest, his face carefully composed in the way that was an open book to Tony, he knew Rhodey had already figured him out.

“Looks like you're building much more than a mobile home, there. This is more than a vacation trip?”

“Come on, Rhodey. Space exploration. It's going to be a science-y joyride.”

“Yeah, I'm sure. But you're building a house. Why are you building a house? Is this a five-year mission? Like Star Trek?”

“I don't know,” he admitted. “I don't know yet. I haven't' figured it out yet, but I know I want to keep exploring, this time. On my own strength.”

“This isn't about breaking up with Pepper? You were ready to settle down and...”

“Hang up the superhero armor?”

Rhodey shrugged and grimaced.

“No, Jim, it's not about that. I saw stuff out there, met people out there... So many possibilities that I haven't even put a name to yet. Can you imagine? Just for a while. It could be science, discovery, pushing the limits, nothing else. Excitement of the kind I haven't had in so long.”

“No Iron Man?”

“I am Iron Man, Rhodey bear.” He knocked against the container with nanites that was set into his chest. “Iron Man is very much coming along, I saw what's out there. Can dazzle and kill you, sometimes both. Have you seen Gamora?”

His friend smiled thinly. “I saw her. Pretty deadly.”

“Pretty amazing too. You could come along? It'd be like the camping trip you took me on when we were, what? I think I was seventeen?”

“You hated camping,” Rhodey reminded him.

Then he got up to throw an arm around Tony and hug him close.

“I'm not coming. I'm firmly rooted here. Just don't forget we need you. And... find someone else to come with you. You get stupid when you're on your own for too long.”

“Okay.” He nodded. “I was going to ask Bruce. He might enjoy a trip to space for exploration.”

“You want to seal yourself in that thing with a Hulk and nothing but vacuum around you? You're a braver man than Thor.”

“Thor did the same thing.”

“Thor's also a god.”

“I'll ask the scientist. And if he has no time, I can still ask my assassin friend from outer  
space.”

* * *

Tony had downsized his space propulsion drive prototype by another 20% with the use of some data provided by Carol on Kree technology she'd encountered in her life. He received a message from Nebula on the day when it was ready for testing.

It simply read: “Come find me when you're traveling. Some things to take care of first. Going off the map for now.”

He mused on the words for about two minutes while staring at the area's on Carol's star charts that were black and marked “uncharted.”

“What the hell's that supposed to mean, Blue Girl? Off the map where?”

The more pressing question was probably _why?_

He leaned over and recorded a holo-message to Gamora in hopes that Quill's merry band of mercenaries was not too far to be reached.

“Gamora? What's your sister up to these days? Her last message was a little... strange. What does 'off the map' mean in space outlaw speak. Inquiring minds want to know. I may make a tour for Asgard soon. Let me know if you need anything. If Quill says he needs another MP3 player, tell him I'll bring him the bad stuff. If Drax wants pop tarts we can negotiate. Team Earth, over and out.”

“Space people,” he muttered to himself. “Cryptic as fuck. Just another thing to figure out. FRIDAY put it on the list: figuring out space people.”

“Of course, boss,” the female voice of the AI assured him.

He recorded a message to Asgard too for good measure, telling Thor of his plans to take out his new mobile home for a spin, when it was ready.

Then he addressed FRIDAY, absentmindedly. “We need to make sure the systems have enough space for your mainframe set up too, darling.”

“Who is going to run the Compound?”

“Oh,” Tony said with the brightest possible grin. “I have an AI lined up for that. Don't be jealous.”

He picked up a data disk that he'd been running for test purposes, called “T.O.N.Y.”

* * *

“You want to take the Hulk with you in something that's a little bigger than a Quinjet?”

“I would be taking _you_ and the Hulk, Bruce. And we do it all the time?”

“Yeah, for short trips towards danger.”

“Well, consider it a long vacation to science and back. A vacation that might hold some fun for Big Green, too.”

Bruce's disbelieving expression led Tony to believe that he wasn't going to say, “yes,” no matter what. “Tony, I've just started to build up a life back home -- here. And have you seen what Wakanda has to offer? There's a city of labs and I'm welcome there, because who's afraid of the Hulk when everything around you is Vibranium? You should come and play there! I've lost years to the arena on that trash planet. God knows what would've happened if Thor hadn't been nearly killed by his sister and ended up there too? I would never have come up again. And then just think about the trouble we would've been in?”

He had been to Wakanda a couple of times already. He had even exchanged medical intel with their main science department. Both sides were interested in keeping their medical equipment state of the art. Wakanda was a country of the future, entirely built on Vibranium and scientific progress. But Tony had seen Titan, had fought beside Nebula, Gamora and Carol. For a brief moment, he had held an Infinity Gem and he'd seen what the Doc could do with his Time Stone.

Science and its evolution were out there.

He had a feeling if he were to ask T'Challa's sister to come along, _she_ 'd jump at the chance -- though her brother would probably wring his neck if he were to.

“Think about it though. You can't tell me you don't hear 'space exploration' and think about what's possible.”

“I do,” Bruce admitted. “Send me a subspace data postcard once in a while. I do plan on visiting Asgard when Thor's ready, but right now...” He gestured around the lab. “I'm good here. I'm sorry.”

“Don't look at me with these puppy dog eyes, Bruce. I thought I'd ask, but I get it.”

“You do? I mean you do. So you're not... you're not going?”

Tony shook his head and opened his hands in an all-encompassing gesture. “I'm set to go as soon as I'm done. Want to help me run the rest of the tests? Make sure I won't kill myself first reentry into a planetary atmosphere. You've had time to look at a few spaceships.”

“A party and a refugee ship,” Bruce said with a doubtful expression, “and I'm no engineer. Not like you.”

“Come on!” He snapped his fingers to draw up the preliminary design and show Bruce what they were talking about. “We're not talking little Soyuz capsule here, but the kind of spacecraft that can go from here to Titan in a day.”

“You're not building one of those --” Bruce indicated one of the huge space donuts with his hands.

“No, uh-uh, nope. I want it to be small and fast. I started it as an enhanced Quinjet design. The Kree ship designs I saw are a nightmare, but some of the M-ship designs like Quill’s give you an idea what's possible for a smaller craft.”

“Is that the lab?” Bruce was already looking at the details with interest. Perhaps he really wasn't interested in going back to space, but the science would always pique his interest. “Have you solved the gravity controls. Life support systems alone must weigh a ton.”

“It's all electronics,” Tony reminded him. “I've been developing microcircuitry for years now.”

“What is that?” Another voice asked.

Tony's head snapped up and he looked over to the door.

“A new Quinjet?” Steve came closer. He was still wearing his brown leather jacket and carrying a duffel over his shoulder. His skin had this sun-kissed tint to it that suggested time spent in the open.

“Something like that,” Tony said and was suddenly reluctant to go into detail. He hadn't thought about saying goodbye to all the people he cared about yet. He'd imagined telling Pepper and announcing the exact nature of his trip to Carol and the team together. He had avoided thinking about telling Steve.

That in itself was telling.

They had just found this easy balance, this friendship that danced around the awkward tension that sometimes shivered under the surface and then calmed again. Of course, now that he and Steve were finally on speaking terms again, and on more equal footing than ever, Tony had new plans. A wave of sadness washed over him, but he swallowed it down.

The torch he carried for Captain America would go on, burning quietly wherever he went.

It wasn't like they'd never see each other again, but Tony needed to follow his call just like Steve would follow his own instincts.

“Will this leave you time to have lunch later?” Steve said with a smile.

“Sure,” Tony promised, hoping that his reluctance wasn't painted all over his face, and watched him walk off to get settled back in after his trip.

“What's this for?” Bruce had barely looked up at the encounter and seemed to be unaware of Tony's eyes trailing after Steve as he walked past the glass walls to the elevator that connected this level to the upstairs living quarters.

“Bunks like we have in the Quinjet. More like beds in a Capsule hotel though.”

“That sounds like my personal nightmare.” Bruce looked appropriately horrified.

“You piloted the Hulkbuster. You'd survive a Stark-designed bunk,” Tony said and rolled his eyes, settling in to talk Bruce through the main systems and the setup for all equipment he had decided on.

He had already cleared out the second hangar that was masquerading as garage now. Manufacturing would start in the morning.

* * *

Bruce pulled him along to Wakanda for some tests and Shuri dazzled him with a solution to his problem with the navigational systems. They poured over the schematics of the M-ship he had drawn up.

“I hope the Avengers can count on you to help out when they need upgrades.”

The young woman smiled. “They only need to ask. But I want to hear about the awesome discoveries first.”

“Deal.” He held out a fist and she bumped her smaller one against it with a huge infectious grin. She _would_ have joined the expedition in a heartbeat, just like he expected, but they both knew right now Wakanda needed her more than ever -- and once their lead developer was gone, so would the Avengers.

“I can run another set of calculations and send them over, double-check your math,” she proposed cheekily.

“Why not?” he agreed and handed her the numbers he'd arrived at.

He didn't have a whole team of mission control behind him and it made him feel better to have his science backed up a bit more.

“You plan on staying out in space for weeks?” With an air of excitement, Shuri worked through all stages of the design, faster than perhaps Tony could have.

“I'm estimating travel times, but I anticipate there to be long stretches where living in the ship might be all there is. Even Kree information suggests it's a big universe and not many planets invite human life.”

She nodded to herself and pondered this.

“The design is heavy because you have all these hydraulics put in and -- what is this?”

“Let me explain,” he said and set the model into motion to _show_.

After watching the demonstration it was Bruce who found his voice a second before Shuri could call: “It can put down roots?”

“Are you planning to come back at all?”

Tony considered the House and Home Protocol was dictated by foresight. When he went through the list of equipment, he looked to the last great exploration expeditions more than he looked towards the tentative plans NASA had to spread in their solar system. He was talking going beyond that solar system and he would be a fool to think he could foresee everything that meant and before he met the obstacles thrown into his way. “I imagined this would be easier than manually setting up a tent with equipment every time I decide a planet is interesting.”

“Every time?” Bruce repeated. “How many planets are you planning on?”

He shrugged. “I don't know. As many as I can make it to?”

At least, Shuri seemed excited by the prospect.

On their way back Bruce asked him after a long stretch of silence, “This is serious? I thought this would be another prolonged vacation trip, but you're talking deep space exploration without a map here.”

“With a star chart,” he corrected. “And with plans to come back to visit. We'll see how it plays out. I may have had enough of exploring a week in.”

They both doubted that would be the case, but Bruce was polite enough not to say it.

By the time they arrived at the Compound, it was late and only Scott was up in the kitchen and Rhodey was sitting in the common room reading. Tony sat down in the armchair close to him.

“Cap was looking or you. I think you forgot about lunch?”

“We didn't make an appointment,” Tony said defensively, feeling immediately guilty that he had forgotten about it -- or had conveniently forgotten so he wouldn’t have to answer questions about the Quinjet that wasn’t a Quinjet anymore. Bruce's subdued reaction to the scope of Tony's plans had made him realize that he had to tell the team soon -- and that included Steve. After all, in a few days an actual spaceship would be built in the bowels of the Compound and then everyone would have questions. “Did he really look for me? I'll make it up to him tomorrow.”

“He seemed to think you had a lunch thing,” Rhodey said with a shrug, making Tony feel like they were talking about their MIT days with girls and boys looking for Tony for all kinds of reasons. At least with Steve, it was guaranteed he wasn't trying to occupy Tony's attention as a clever career move or an attempt to steal his work and pass it off as his own project.

“I'll have to tell the team, Rhodey. It's time.”

“I think Carol hinted to them that you were working on some new spacecraft to get you beyond Asgard for some exploration. She didn’t mention details, but I suppose everyone realizes how much space appealed to you.”

“How did they react?”

Rhodey finally put down the book and gave Tony his full attention. “I don't think anyone has realized yet you're making this your retirement plan. Everyone expects you to make a fast run, take some readings, go to one more space casino and be back before our washing machine breaks to step back in as Iron Man. But I know you -- this is different. I'd feel better if you had someone at your back when you go out playing Mr. Spock.”

“I'm more... Voyager going in the opposite direction.”

“Okay,” Rhodey accepted. “You never liked that Trek show.”

“Too much technobabble but it had some fun moments.” He shrugged. “I won't be gone. I'll make sure communication stays up. If Iron Man is needed, I'll be back.”

“Back?”

Tony nearly jumped out of his skin as he glanced over his shoulder, and for the umpteenth, wished Steve had some kind of bell put on him.

“Where are you going?”

Rhodey picked his book back up and said, “He's building a spaceship.”

“Really? You're going on another trip?”

“That's the plan,” Tony admitted carefully. “Been working on it for some time but it's finally taking shape. Might even get off planet if the drive doesn’t break. It’s the first time I’m building on this scale.”

Steve was watching him with the searching look that, in bad moments, made Tony feel like he was preemptively measured and found wanting. “Are you around tomorrow? Maybe we can have lunch then?”

It was the most measured reaction he'd received yet and he found himself nod. “Sure.” He stood up to excuse himself then. “Alright, it's been a long day. I better get some rest. See both of you tomorrow.”

If asked, he wouldn't have admitted he was fleeing the scene.

But in his own heart, he knew that saying goodbye was becoming more and more real. He wished he was out there already and could put that part behind himself.

* * *

For three days he didn't step out of the work area. The sounds of machines and tools at work with blaring music had always been his beat. Nothing gave him more satisfaction than seeing his visions take final shape.  
He broke down part of a wall to make room for the expansion test. He would need to refurbish the hangar to let him elevate the platform enough to launch, but it was a minor problem he could still solve in time. 

But now, it was definitely time to take a shower, make himself presentable and go find some coffee. Today, he would meet Pepper and tell her he had set a launch date, and later, meet Stephen to tell him he was going to be guarding Earth without Iron Man for a while, but if he ever felt the need for space again, he was welcome to give him a call.

And then he would get back to work on, putting the finishing touches on his baby.

With this thought, he cleaned up and made his way up to the kitchen, refreshed.

He found out from Scott that the team already had heard about the spaceship from Carol and they knew he was making space his new hobby. On Thursday he only entered the kitchen to get some coffee and Peter, who had stayed the night because of a late debriefing the night before, bounced over to him and asked, “Are you going to do another trip to space? How far will you go?”

With a sip of coffee, he immediately found it easier to listen to the kid's barrage of questions.

“I think I'll pass by Titan.”

“Really? There's nothing left there, right?”

“Yeah, but it's the farthest we've been yet and I'd like to see what lies beyond it.”

“Wow,” Peter said and the weight of what he just said seemed to sink in. “You're planning a space exploration trip, Tony. Other people live a quiet life when they retire.”

He beamed. “Come on, kid, what do you know about retirement? Just because there's gray in my hair doesn't mean I'm going to sit around all day watching the sunset.”

Acutely aware of the sudden silence that fell over the people in the kitchen, Tony took another sip and turned to look at everyone who had gathered there. It was Natasha and Steve at the table and Sam and Wanda were making sandwiches at the kitchen island and the only one meeting his gaze head-on was Steve.

“Will Thor go with you?”

“He has his own problems, but he's going to meet up with me, as are the Guardians. But apart from that, I have no plans yet.”

“This is so cool!” Peter said in awe, but Steve was watching him with narrowed eyes. He wasn't biting his lip, but Tony could see from the rigid way he was holding himself that he was refraining from saying something that he thought needed saying. God, Tony could see the disapproval in the lines of his perfectly handsome jaw and the way he'd crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Even _that_ he was going to miss a little, but the friendly calm between them had been great while it lasted.

“I'll send you updates on real aliens.”

The boy shuddered. “I sure hope you don't meet any real aliens. The ones we met were enough.”

He laughed, but every time he thought about Thanos and his cruel smile, or about the long-faced alien who had tortured Strange with the glass spikes, a shiver went up his spine. But there was so much more out there. Wonders like Thor and his people, wonders like living trees and cultures they hadn't even encountered yet. “All we can do is learn more.”

He patted Peter on the shoulder and promised a tour of the spaceship when it was actually more than just a skeleton of a sadly departed space whale. Nobody stopped him as he let the kitchen with his coffee cup, but even he realized that the only one talking into the silence now was Peter.

To get away, he took the car out for a spin before he met Pepper at the New York headquarter of Stark International. When he told her what he was planning, she shifted a little in her chair and then, with slightly wet eyes asked, “I was beginning to wonder why you had started to put everything into order. Last time you did that you were dying. Are you dying, Tony? Is that where this is all coming from? Stepping down from the Avengers, making sure they will be funded even when you're gone?”

A startled breath escaped his lungs. “No! I'm not dying. I'm simply deciding what to do with myself. I need this. Exploration and discovery. It will be amazing. And just think what I could bring back for R&D? We were always looking towards the future and this will put us beyond anything we have yet achieved.”

“You're not dying?”

“No.”

“And this is not about Iron Man?”

“No. Well, it's about _me_ so by default it is also about...”

“It's not about us?”

The words he'd been about to speak got stuck in his throat. “About us? Come on, no. We both decided it was better this way. I'm retired. Why shouldn't I go wherever I want.”

She looked as startled as he had before. “You think there are no threats lurking anymore? That's why you finally stepped down?”

“Oh, there will be threats. But you will have better Avengers and the Avengers will have the support structure to keep them going. It's no longer up to me. I did what I did to save the world from Thanos. Now it's up to the next generation. Why is everybody acting like I don't know what I'm doing here.”

It took a moment for her face to change from a worried frown into an expression of understanding. She still looked teary-eyed when she spoke. “There it is again. The spark. Promise me, you'll let us know where you are.”

“Of course I will.” He finally dared step around the desk to stand behind her, rub her back and pat her shoulder.

She initiated the goodbye hug and he saw no point resisting. “Bon Voyage. And if you were lying about the dying part, I will hunt you down and kill you myself.”

“Alright, Pep. Noted.” He gave her the most reassuring smile he had in his broad repertoire and she returned the grin.

“Something will undoubtedly explode,” she predicted.

“Sooner or later. I'll record it and you can see how many hits it'll get on Youtube?”

“More than you doing the Christmas Fireworks?” she asked, referring to the time he had blown up all his armors for her.

He shrugged. “We'll find out.”

The next stop was a familiar brownstone. Tony wasn't surprised at all when the door seemed to be concealed until he looked again and realized whatever wards were protecting the Sanctum Sanctorum were letting him through.

“Did you park outside?” Wong asked.

“Why? Are we planning a get-away? What did we do, rob a wizard bank?”

“Possessions are not the way to greater enlightenment,” Wong said.

“He's only saying that because I'm refusing to pay for his groceries,” Strange said,walking down the stairs in civilian clothes.

“Bad time? Were you about to head out?”

With a swish of the hand, the cloak appeared around his shoulders and he met Tony at the foot of the stairs. “Never a bad time. I hear you're about to head out to space again? Didn't you just come back?”

“I've been around for weeks and I've been busy. Don't you watch television?”

“Not often,” Stephen said calmly and Wong shrugged.

“But you know about space travel? Where did that get announced? Wizard's Weekly?”

“Thor told me. He needed help with his brother.”

“Ha, yeah, I was wondering how long that would go well. Loki started a war for the throne yet?”

“In his own chaotic way he meant well, and in his very own way, he accepted that the consequences would get someone hurt. He was less gracious when that someone turned out to be him.” Stephen gave him that tiny amused smirk that meant he had enjoyed the recent episode immensely. He too could be a smug bastard just like Tony. “Tell me then, Tony. What do you need?”

He grimaced. “Don't make it sound like I'm cutting deals here. I'm asking you to keep an eye on... you know, _them_ , _everyone_. Technically you already are, but I want an adult on the team besides Rhodey and Sam Wilson, because if at any point Mr. Ant-Man becomes the one who calls the shots, it would not work out that well. Could you have Carol's back if they need it? T'Challa already agreed to be her co-commander...”

“You were busy preparing,” Stephen concluded and gestured to one of the old-fashioned armchairs in the room. “Alright, tell me what exactly you want me to be aware of.”

Until now Tony hadn't realized the tension that was running up and down his spine, but now that Stephen was calmly sitting down, ready to hear him out, ready to work with him, it fell away. He briefly laid out the different pillars of stability he was leaving behind, from Stark Industries to the Maria Stark Foundation, to the multilateral talks that would continue to keep the Avengers in business without any more military interference.

Finally, he felt it was all settled. Stephen shook his hand and they allowed themselves to reminisce about their first ill-fated space trip. By the time he was ready to go, he realized how much time had passed and Stephen suggested he leave the car where it was and let him open a direct route to the Compound.

A look to his watch revealed it was already past lunch time and he felt bad about having run out on Steve again, without a word. If he didn't want to look like he was hiding, then he was doing a terrible job of it.

“You could come along for a bit, you know?”

“No,” Stephen deadpanned and stepped with him through the portal for a moment. “Perhaps another time that. For now, I've had enough of space. You wouldn't believe what kinds of things are lurking just behind the layers of this dimension. And you want me to keep an eye on things here anyway.”

“Touché.”

“You _have_ been busy, Tony. I promise we won't let it go to shambles while you find whatever it is you're looking for.” They had arrived in the Avengers common room and Stephen nodded at Steve, Sam and Natasha, who were sitting over at the small living room table watching both of them silently.

“Have a good trip,” Stephen said with a final nod to Tony.

“Thanks.”

And with a wave of his arm, he and the backdrop of the Sanctum Sanctorum were gone.

“I guess I'm late for lunch again?” he asked awkwardly when he found that the three Captain Americas sitting at the table were watching him in silence. Only Natasha was grinning. “I also left my car in the city,” he admitted when he realized it was the one Steve had picked twice for their lunch outings.

Steve pushed himself up from his seat, startling Sam. “If you're hungry, I can get us something. I'll bring it down to your spaceship factory. I know you're _busy_.”

Tony tried hard not to wince at the hint of sarcasm in Steve's tone and nodded. “Great, thanks, yeah. That would be amazing.”

Steve had already reached for his jacket and was halfway out of the room and that was all they exchanged because Tony was already hurrying out in the opposite direction.

It felt good when the hangar doors closed behind him and he was alone with what would be his home for the next months, if not years.

“You weren't around when I constructed the Malibu villa,” he told FRIDAY, “but that was so much fun. I tell you, planning out the rooms and realizing I was building myself a castle where I could do as I pleased. That was brilliant. Some of the best work I ever did.”

“We're not building a house, boss.”

“We're building a spaceship. And it's going to be where we work and live. We better make it fucking amazing. Put on some Ziggy Stardust and make it loud, we have work to do.”

* * *

Rhodey visited him half an hour later to look at a kink in the exoskeleton that helped him walk.

“What am I going to do without my favorite mechanic?” he asked, as a friend who knew Tony needed to be wound tight to get over his own nerves. He could always count on Rhodey to tease him out of his worst moods.

“Did Pepper blab?”

“She wasn't sure I knew already.”

“How did she take that you did?”

“Well.” Rhodey picked up a screwdriver Tony had discarded beside him to play around with and watched him crouch down to get a better look at the joint that was giving him trouble. “I'll miss seeing you on your knees.”

“Har, har. You're just afraid you won't get the regular armor updates right from the source.”

“I'll miss you, man.”

“I'll come visit when I get too homesick. And you could come along, you know? Open invitation.”

“Good to know, but no. I want to know what happens next and I'm not yet ready to completely retire from service either.”

Tony shrugged and sat down with one drawn up leg to look at his handiwork, then turned his gaze to Rhodey. “Your call. You'll regret it when you hear how much trouble I'm getting into without you.”

“I'll miss you, but you're on your own with the trouble. But if there's paradise out there let me know ASAP.”

“ASAP,” he agreed and realized they were both getting a little too sappy here. A joke about sending Rhodey the coordinates if he found it, having no use himself for paradise, was on his lips.

Someone knocked against the glass wall. They looked up at Steve who was standing in the wide open door, and Tony was shocked to remember Steve had told him he was bringing back lunch. Preoccupied with Rhodey, he had forgotten all about food -- and Steve, and his judgmental yet smoldering expressions. God, was he going to miss that. And the daydreams he'd never admit to having about the storms playing out in those blue eyes.

It would feel much safer to allow himself these dangerous fantasies once he was on a long journey away from home.

Steve looked appropriately grumpy. He was holding two bags with different sized boxes from Tony's favorite Vietnamese place, and Tony knew for a fact they didn't do delivery all the way to their upstate place. His stormy-eyed Captain must have gone out to _fetch_ it.

 _Mixed signals,_ Tony thought. _If I confuse him as much as he confuses me, then no wonder we always end up on different sides of an argument._

“Food,” Steve said. He was wound up so tightly to the point where he was reduced to one-word sentences. That was never good.

Tony threw Rhodey a helpless look, saw Rhodey's eyes narrowed back at him before his brow cleared. “Late lunch for two. I'll leave you to it, then. I'm sure you have things to discuss.”

Tony was about to protest, but Steve had already walked into the room, setting down the bag of delightfully aromatic food on the closest workbench and said, “Thank you, Rhodey.”

As if this was _his_ place.

Tony blinked at Rhodey who shrugged and waved as he walked out, the traitor. Although his friend might have a point: the confrontation was coming and if he knew anything about Steven Grant Rogers, it was that he wasn't going to back down if he was looking for a fight. Better to get it over with quickly so that they could make up before Tony headed to enjoy his well-earned retirement.

Otherwise, it would haunt him.

Them both, maybe.

Methodically, Steve started to set out the food and chopsticks. It looked very much like Steve had planned for them to share.

Like friends.

But his movements, as he set down the bottles and plastic cups, were a little too hard.

“Are you pissed at me because I missed lunch again? I mean, it wasn't a proper date.”

Steve had just started to open a bottle of some kind of soda that he retrieved from the bag -- that, in all honesty, Tony had been about to add he shouldn't bother pouring him -- but Tony's words were still ringing through of the workshop when Steve's face turned dark and the hand that had been busy with the plastic bottle cap _slipped_. His fist ripped back and with a loud exploding noise, the plastic bottle gave way, the cap flying against the wall and soda gushing in all directions.

They stared at each other -- Tony wide-eyed, Steve somewhere between startled and still angry.

Deciding that it was time to get up from the floor, Tony stood. “Okay, Steve, this isn't...”

“It's soda. I'll clean it up.”

“That isn't...”

“I'll clean it up.” Steve grabbed a dirty rag from the nearest side table and dabbed at the sticky liquid that had spilled all over his t-shirt, making it worse with every wipe, his expression darkening further.

Tony bit his tongue before he could suggest he just take off the shirt -- because, fuck, was this some sort of goodbye gift from this planet's higher powers before he left to explore what lay beyond? No, he was never that lucky, and Steve's eyes were no longer storm blue; they spelled full-out natural disaster.

“There's a bathroom through there,” Tony suggested and pointed towards its direction.

With a huff, Steve threw the rag back down on the table and nodded two or three times and much too fast; he remained rooted to the spot, though, and his eyes settled back on Tony. “We should eat while it's still warm. I went all the way to...”

“Queens,” Tony interrupted. “You went all the way to Queens to get this so we could have lunch. Why would you do that if you're this pissed at me? What did I do?”

“You're building a spaceship! You've been building it since you've been back.” Steve gestured over to where only part of the actual structure was visible through the hangar doors. “We go out, and you don't tell me. You listen to me talk about what my plans are. But I learn about _this_ from an excited Spider-Man and Carol who you asked for help and input. _I_ don't even rate being told firsthand. You tell me details about your plans when everyone is already talking about them. You don’t tell me when you’re leaving or for how long and the more I hear slip through when you talk to others, the more it sounds like you don’t plan on coming back _at all_ , and...”

“I’m not sure where I’ll go or when, I...” He had wanted to tell Steve, even though he dreaded it. And he had botched it now. It would have been better to come out and say it.

Right now he wished they weren't doing this in his own workshop because that left him nowhere to run.

“You have to get this, Steve. You stepped down too and _I_ get it. It’s okay to live your own life finally, look to the things you want to do and do what you always wanted to do and never had the time for. And finally, we can, because there are people here who are amazing and can pick up the slack. Earth is going to be fine. So -- retirement. We're both not made for sitting around, so you do your camping road trips, and I do science. 

"Space, Steve. It's amazing out there. Just imagine the things we don't know about other solar systems, about what makes the universe, or think about alien cultures and the technology they have developed simply because their planet's different from ours. Can you imagine how much there's out there for someone...”

He had talked fast and was still surprised he'd gotten as many words out when Steve gnashed his teeth visibly and then shouted, “I get it, okay? I _get_ that. I'm not stupid.”

Tony closed his mouth at a loss now in the face of Steve's still obvious anger. “Why are you angry, then? If you get it? What did I do?”

“You _didn’t_ ,” Steve exploded.

“What?”

“As far as I can tell, you asked _everyone_ if they wanted to come along or at least take a short trip with you to Asgard or _somewhere_. I don’t even get the fun three-day short trip offer or the let’s-visit-Thor-in-his-new-home option. Everyone else gets an open invite.”

“That’s not true. I didn’t ask everybody. I just..." Truthfully, Tony had asked everyone he thought was interested in the science or who had an affinity for space. But that wasn't the only reason asking Steve hadn’t crossed his mind. The most important one was that, to him, traveling with Steve in a tiny spaceship seemed so much scarier than traveling with the Hulk. There would be no way to avoid each other if things went south and he had a feeling their relationship was only working now because they could avoid each other when needed.

“True, you haven’t asked anyone who is connected to Captain America.”

Well, Tony might have offered Sam and Natasha a ride. He cleared his throat and whatever it was Steve saw on his face revealed what Tony was thinking. Steve narrowed his eyes and then let a hand glide over his face. “Who? Nat or Sam?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not like anyone actually wants to come and that’s fine...”

“Well, at least I know it’s only the Caps from the forties you have a problem with.”

“That’s unfair! If I had asked, would _you_ have said yes? Because we both know you wouldn’t...”

“Yes,” Steve said.

“What?”

“Yes; ask me and I’ll say yes.”

Silence. A screwdriver rolled down from a table and fell to the floor, and Tony nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound. But he couldn’t look away from Steve and the challenge that was written all over his face. 

“I’m building a spaceship? Want to come and explore space with me?” he asked; even to his own ears, it sounded terrible.

“Yes,” Steve said, “thank you for asking. I’ll be happy to go with you.”

Tony blinked at Steve and his suddenly calm demeanor. “Okay, what the hell just happened?”

“That is, if you’re not already regretting it.”

He was still not quite sure they were on the same page. “Why didn’t you just say something before?”

“Why didn’t you ask?”

They were going in circles. “You retired. You wanted the quiet life with outdoor trips and discovering what life could be like without Captain America.”

“I grew up with dreams of space, reading magazine called _Astounding Stories_ and _Science-Fiction_. Can you imagine what it was like to have slept through the moon landing... I’ve missed out on too much as it is. What makes you think I wouldn’t want to go see the stars for myself and meet the future. Let me have this. Be at the front of something that’s not war. I’m not Captain America anymore, but doesn’t mean I can’t have adventures _with you_.”

“I... Science adventures,” Tony cautioned because he hoped most of his adventures would involve inventing new names for elements nobody on Earth had ever heard of and calibrating scanners for problems he didn’t even know existed.

“Fine with me,” Steve said. “I won’t be much help with your tech and analyzing, but you can tell me when you need someone to do the heavy lifting. I'll bring along my experience and survival skills, I’m good with maps and I am handy if there happens to be a space fight, as you should well know.” The following smile was just hesitant enough to be endearing and scary as hell. Steve had said all that much too earnestly.

This was a recipe for disaster and Tony on his own was enough of a trouble magnet to come with a “too hot to handle”-warning.

It sounded like Steve really wanted to come along and not just because he was defying Tony’s choice to not ask him. That was good.

This was never going to work though.

But Tonye couldn’t say no. As nervous as he was, he was _excited_ , suddenly.

_Remember what happens when you’re excited like that, Stark? Yeah? Not good. Have you thought about what it took to get you to be friends again? Do you want to risk that by becoming the most awkward set of roommates if ever there was one?_

Someone had to at least point it out, right?

“I’m, hmm. Is this a good idea? I have no idea how long we’ll be out or where we’ll end up. It’s going to be a journey to the unknown and we’re going to be in each other's company for who knows how long. I mean, _Quill_ didn’t stop complaining about my taste in music and I was planning to blast those good tunes all over space... And you probably don’t like AC/DC or any sort of...good music that blasts your ears away. Is that what you want?”

Music wasn’t the biggest issue. They both knew that. Tony was babbling. He knew he was, and he watched Steve’s face -- clean shaven, but there was still the lingering impression of an older and more tired Steve there, from years of being on the run. After the anger, his face was now stuck on that neutral expression that made his face seem just a little harder around the edges and his eyes darker, a soft and somber indigo that shimmered with a temper that could turn as volatile as his own -- and hope.

Tony didn't want to crush that hope. He already missed the easy friendship they had experienced before this bout of miscommunication. They _could_ communicate, if they were willing. Surely he could at least give this a try.

“I mean we could...” Tony started, carefully, watching Steve's face that held no judgment, but the expectation was there as they both finished Tony's sentence:   _compromise_. 

Tony didn't say it out loud. Bad idea. Worst possible idea. Why would they force themselves into that kind of situation if they didn’t have to anymore? They were friends -- for the first time in years, he felt confident enough to call them that without any tension or fear of losing it again. Tony had learned and so had Steve, with everything they had lost and lost and been granted a second chance at, and that wasn't something to scoff at. Steve was his friend, even though he was a stubborn thick-headed “I know best” super soldier and he and Tony managed to still disagree on too many things. Could they travel for a while? Wouldn't that just set them up for more complication?

“We could compro…” Steve started saying, the word they were thinking, and the same word that remained unsaid as Steve clamped down on his lips and kept it in.

Apparently, sometimes they did think alike. 

And Tony expected that to be the end of it.

But Steve -- stubborn after all -- looked away swiftly, didn’t _exactly_ fidget because the original Captain America didn’t do that, and returned his gaze to lock eyes with him. “Driver chooses the music. Isn’t that how it goes? Your trip. I’m only tagging along. So whatever you want to listen to in space? Fine with me. Nothing to worry about.”

Tony’s mouth opened.

Smart comebacks, thoughts, even the most babbly words failed him.

He closed his mouth and tried to regroup.

“Alright then, okay,” he said very slowly and drew out the words as much as he could, not sure if he was trying to give Steve a moment to reconsider and to get out before it was too late.

Face still neutral, but showing that subtle hint of Steve Rogers determination, Steve nodded. “It’s settled then. I’m going with you. When do we leave?”

Tony's throat suddenly dry, his palms incredibly sweaty. He tried to figure out the words he was supposed to drag up. Nothing really seemed appropriate. “Uh-huh,” he said, feeling like an idiot and then forced himself to actually think and plan like the smart genius adult he sometimes was. “Uh, I mean, huh. We leave as soon as the test run on the _Joyride 7_ is complete.”

A smile passed over Steve’s face and he looked out at the production hangar where the slightly oversized and sturdier space Quinjet was sitting, waiting for Tony to put the finishing touches on it. “You called her _Joyride_? Why the 'seven'?”

Tony’s mind was still stuck on the fact that he had just agreed to spend an undetermined amount of time on a slightly bigger than average Quinjet with Steve -- alone for the foreseeable future. “Yeah,” he said softly. He’d wanted to take a piece of home with himself and the Avengers had been the closest to it, at least when they weren’t falling apart. “It’s the file name for the Quinjet upgrade. The seventh attempt came out like a spaceship. Oops,” he added as if that hadn’t been the plan all along.

“Good name,” Steve said and looked at him with more of that determination, food entirely forgotten. After all the trouble Steve had gone through to get it, it was probably cold and sprinkled with soda now anyway.

Tony was feeling weak in the knees. The sinking feeling in his stomach said he’d just done something stupid, made a grave mistake, but he couldn’t be bothered to investigate it too closely.

“Can I look at her?”

“Her?” Tony was still out of it apparently, because it took him a moment to realize Steve wanted a tour of _their_ little spaceship that until moments ago Tony had purely seen as _his_.

A tour.

Now.

After insisting to live on the ship.

Together.

Wow.

Apparently, they were really doing this.

 _We're going to regret this when we’re three weeks in and at each other’s throats_ , he thought but couldn’t bring himself to protest. Traveling alone wouldn’t have dissuaded him from his plans, but Steve had a point about the advantages of a crewmate and perhaps they both needed the novelty of this adventure. They could part ways if it didn’t work out. The Guardians, Thor, Tony himself -- _someone_ \-- would get Steve home if needed. In his mind, Tony was already plotting a trip past Not-Old-Not-New-But-Asgard-Now. That way, Steve would have a bit of time to get used to space and traveling with Tony, and if he decided it wasn’t for him, they could make a decision about it before the point of no return.

 _Yes,_ he decided. _That'd be best._

Tony led Steve through to the hangar and let him walk around the _Joyride_ for a bit, all the while watching him with lingering bemusement. He wondered what everyone would say if they heard they were going to embark on this journey _together_?

[  
Art by ireallyshouldbedrawing](https://ireallyshouldbedrawing.tumblr.com/)

“It's bigger than I thought,” Steve noted when he ended his round and appeared from the other side of the ship. He was grinning with honest excitement that made for a stark contrast to the anger and sadness from before.

Relaxing further, Tony nodded. “You're a braver man than I to want to come on this journey despite knowing we'd be stuck in Quinjet.”

“I was stuck in a Quinjet and tiny hotel rooms for a long time,” Steve reminded him, “with three other people. And believe me, that was still better than some living arrangements that I went through in my life.”

“So I've heard. Want to see how bad it will be to be in close quarters?”

Steve's grin turned into an even more excited smile. By now, even Tony could see that he was truly looking forward to this.

That still came as a surprise.

He had honestly thought that Steve was trying to lay low, look for whatever life could afford him as normal civilian and maybe, in the end, go back to dating his former-SHIELD now-CIA agent friend and work out a life with her, protecting Earth in other ways than before. Cap in space? That thought had never occurred to him.

But Tony was warming up to the idea now, with every smile Steve threw his way.

The inside of the _Joyride_ was still very bare. He had gone for white panels in the main part of the small ship. They entered through the hangar hatch where he briefly explained his plan to have at least one vehicle on board, and showed where he planned to store a backup armor.

“You plan to make this an armory? It's small.”

“Armory, workshop, lab,” Tony said. “Think of it as a field lab. It'll have everything I need, but condensed down to the dimensions of this ship.”

Steve seemed honestly impressed. He let Tony explain the engines, the gravity and life support controls.

“I didn't plan on luxury accommodation,” he went on explaining and pointed out where their bed bunks would be -- functional, small, with a little monitor and console in it. “It's the size of a superior bunk on an overnight ferry, but not more than that. There's space for two bunks here. I didn't plan on more, but we could make it work if Thor wanted to visit. Still think you had it worse on the Quinjet?”

Steve looked at the bare metal and nodded when Tony let FRIDAY project how exactly the bunks were supposed to look in the end. There would be one on either side of a small compartment with a wall in between. He could make room for stacked bunks so they would be able to fit in four in total, but he had decided that he -- and whoever came to use the other bunk -- needed storage space for their personal items too. So a small ladder would lead to the top bunk and the lower space could be used as a huge crawl-in closet.

“It's going to be okay with me,” Steve assured him and Tony thought he’d keep the “home building” protocol to himself for now. He could surprise Steve when they go planetside and their little space jet turned into the center of a sturdier tent structure, to give inhabitants more room.

The bath and shower had already materialized in parts. He was adapting some technology they'd developed for the ISS, keeping in mind that the gravity controls he'd adapted from Kree technology might not always be stable.

“This will have a table later,” he said in one of the empty unfinished compartments behind the bridge that would make the main part of their little ship. He waved towards the wall. “Kitchenette will be there.”

“Med bay?” Steve asked.

“Not equipped yet, but through here.”

Even walking among the mostly empty compartments now with Steve by his side made the space feel cramped. They were going to live in their own little slightly more spacious submarine -- and neither of them seemed to be appropriately afraid of that prospect yet.

“I like it. What do I need to bring?”

Tony scratched the side of his throat. The magnitude of this was only now hitting him. “I haven't exactly prepared a checklist yet, but we can figure it out.”

The ended their tour and returned to the now cold food  and sat down together, picking at what was there and edible. It was still delicious and Tony realized how ravenous he was. He hadn't had much besides coffee that morning.

His appetite seemed to please Steve, who had gone to great lengths to feed him.

“You should really clean up,” Tony finally advised, getting a final fork-full of deliciously prepared chicken. “You still look like you lost a fight with a bottle of soda.”

“I remember winning that fight,” Steve said and looked sheepish. Losing his temper was always embarrassing for him, but he often let it get the better of him anyway. There were sticky stains of soda covering the table and floor and Dum-E had started cleaning around them.

Before Steve left he turned back in the door and said, “Thank you, for having me.”

Tony nodded, feeling warm and fuzzy and nervous about it all.

That evening he tried to not work until he fell over, instead going to bed at a decent hour. Sleeping this over seemed like the best idea. Steve would likely do the same: think things over and reevaluate what he had agreed to.

After tossing and turning for a good hour, unable to find sleep, he threw off the blanket and padded barefooted back to the workshop.

He'd replayed their whole encounter from start to finish at least three times and Steve's words about having missed the moon landing were ringing in his ears.

While Tony couldn't turn back time without an Infinity Gem (yet), he could give Steve a moon landing. They needed to test drive the _Joyride 7_ and why not make it a run to the moon?

Unable to rest, he started designing a space suit for Steve -- who wouldn't be afforded the convenience of carrying Iron Man armor around with him. In the end, the design looked just a bit like a Captain America uniform. Then he spent another hour making all the insignia an homage to NASA emblems with a slight Avengers twist.

Suddenly, Tony was looking forward to this.

Space was still the most exciting adventure he could think of -- and if getting there meant he could give Steve a moonwalk and some fun memories before they parted ways, he would damn well see that he did so.


	2. Space Adventures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the heroes embark on a space road trip.

The first notes of _Thunderstruck_ blasted from the speakers, filling the cockpit with the sound. He hummed along with the rhythm that made the controls under his hands vibrate. Music was best when you could feel it. Until today he had taken a lot of care to not overdo it, never turning up the volume when Steve was outside the separated areas where he only needed to close the door to have peace and quiet. But today he was captain of his own little space vessel and he had found their first Earth-like planet outside the solar system to explore.

Before him, the computer blinked in the brightest green and FRIDAY was running the atmosphere checks, while Tony hummed and then sang along: _I looked round and I knew_.

Above his head in the middle of their main view screen old-fashioned Polaroids had been taped to the screen showing Steve in his Stark-designed Captain America space suit taking steps on the moon and saluting at the camera. Behind the glass screen of his helmet, Steve was grinning in each, amiably playing along with the joke and bursting with joy at walking on the actual moon.

Bringing a modified Polaroid camera for that exact occasion and nothing else didn't seem excessive at the time and he didn't regret going out of his way to bring it. While he doubted he was going to use it for anything else, every time Steve saw the picture and a tiny smile lit up his face, Tony thought that the small joke had been worth it.

One day when they split ways and Steve inevitably returned to Earth, Tony would frame the pictures for him and Steve something to take with him. A reminder of the good times they'd spent together on this trip.

A good memory.

Tony hoped they were about to make another.

After they'd spent the last weeks cooped up inside the _Joyride 7_ without any major incidents he was looking forward to getting some fresh air.

“You seem happy?”

Automatically the music turned down in volume to make conversation possible; he'd been clear in his instructions to FRIDAY.

Steve had spent part of the morning in their tiny work out space in what Tony had named the common room after the final remodeling had been done. It was right behind the ships narrow bridge and it stood to reason that Steve had come here to see what exactly had Tony turn up the music.

“I am delighted,” Tony sing-songed and turned the screen towards Steve to give him a glimpse of it. All margins were green. The ship's sensors had already started the work of scanning the surface for a good place to set down the ship.

“We have a planet?”

“We have a planet, Mr. Rogers. Earth-like. Breathable, non-toxic atmosphere. Three stable continents. And look at it!” He pointed out the view screen. “It shines like the Emerald City of Oz.”

Steve slipped into the second pilot chair and took in the sight; two more chairs had been installed being theirs with their own workstations – in case they picked up someone else on their extended study tour.

“Wow, it's really shiny. I'm glad you're not just making that comparison because I'm old and you know I'll get that reference.”

The planet was such a wonderful shade of emerald that it had simply bee the first metaphor to cross his mind.

“You're not old. You're a young man who received an excessively conservative upbringing. I went to school with people from wealthy families who knew less about our day and age than you, Steve. Ivory-towers. The worst.”

Steve noted his objection with a half-smile and no answer; he was already busy pulling up his own screen and navigating through the information. On their journey, he had proven himself to be the perfect, unobtrusive traveling companion. With nothing happening for days, Tony had been afraid boredom would get to him, but Steve had spent his time getting familiar with the ships systems, the piloting unit – and he'd looked at every single star chart stored in their databanks. He had developed an enthusiasm for the maps that still surprised Tony.

FRIDAY had served as a patient teacher, answering Steve's questions as he went through the information.

It had been up to Tony to teach Steve more about the manual flying of the _Joyride 7_. It hadn't been needed yet, but in case something happened to Tony it was advisable that both of them knew how to operate the ship.

“Is that planet on any of your star charts? We're not stepping on any toes?”

“It's on the charts. It has a number, no name,” Steve said. “FRIDAY?”

“Planet wasn't claimed by any of the intelligent spices of the neighboring sectors.”

“Not on their main trade routes, I assume.” Steve was still studying his monitor for hints of interstellar diplomacy they could be messing up. Finally, he leaned back, relaxed.

Tony took that to say: _No problem found._

“Ready to get a new picture?”

“More than ready. How do we do this?”

“FRIDAY and the ship's computer are going to do the work. This is what the computer was designed for. FRIDAY, calculate atmosphere entry orbit and take us down gently.”

“No problem, boss,” FRIDAY shot back as if this was an everyday occurrence. “Do we want to set down nice and quiet or announce our presence with flair and aplomb?”

“Nice and quiet,” Steve said before Tony could answer, but their eyes met as he said it. “We don't want to scare the locals.”

“No locals to speak of, but I'd like to get a chance to see some of the wildlife. This is my very first space safari, after all.”

“Trajectory for atmospheric re-entry calculated and set in,” FRIDAY announced and the automated safety belts came down over their shoulders, strapping them in.

“First time we do this with an atmosphere.”

“You built her for this, Tony. I trust she'll get us down safely.”

Steve had been talking about the _Joyride <_, but FRIDAY quipped: “I will do my best.”

 _My girls_ , Tony thought, _let's charm Steve a bit, so he'll never forget you._

Things got shaky as soon as they hit the atmosphere. The ship lurched and groaned, gravitational control switched off and if it weren't for the safety belts they would have found themselves floating. Then they were through and the ship brought them down in an arc slowing enough to speed them in a final curve over emerald forests and lilac meadows.

They landed right in the middle of one a gentle slope that would be easy to make camp on.

“Alright?” Tony asked Steve, already busy with freeing himself from the safety belts and getting out of the seat. Steve was staring out into the distance with an unreadable expression.

“Yeah, just... alien planet. It's gotten real.”

“Realer than the moon?”

“Yeah,” Steve grinned up at him. “Now what? Do we know what's out there? Lifeforms? Microbes that can kill us? Unforeseen plants that want to eat us?”

“We know that all life forms on this planet are small.”

FRIDAY supplied: “The largest animal will barely come up to your knee.”

“Doesn't mean it can't be dangerous.”

“Yeah,” Tony agreed, “never count out the small ones.”

“Temperature: 72 °F. There are glaciers around the pole caps,” Steve read from his screen. He shuddered. “Let's stay down south for a bit.”

Tony nodded. “Come on then. FRIDAY, we'll check the perimeter. Let the scanners run and give us a shout out if necessary.”

Touching his fingers to the nanite compartment he armored up enough to be safe.

When he turned to see if Steve was following, he had swiveled around the cockpit chair as far as it would go and was watching him.

“What?”

“I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing that?”

“The armor?”

Steve's eyes wandered up the metal and met his eyes, leaving Tony to wonder what he had been looking at exactly before Tony had looked around? The way the metal crawled up his back? The way his legs had been covered up?

“Yeah, the _armor_ ,” Steve said with the tiniest hint of a private smile. Tony knew from experience that h wasn't going to share the thought process.

“FRIDAY, open the hatch,” Tony called. “Power up the garage in case we need anything that's in there.”

“Yes, boss.”

“I'll suit up,” Steve said. “Don't leave without me.”

He nodded and with that he stepped through to the side hatch, waiting patiently until it was open completely and Steve was ready. Steve joined him a few minutes later, wearing one of the dark blue-gray overalls Tony had developed for this trip. It could be turned into a more sophisticated space suit with just the hooking up of oxygen containers and a breather or helmet. The fabric was a special nanite composite that would withstand the apocalypse. Now that he saw Steve in it properly for the first time he realized it looked like a blue version of the standard SHIELD bodysuit that only the field agents had been wearing by the end.

 _We can work on that_ , he thought, _already imagining white and red highlights on Steve._

“Want to take the first steps into a new world?” Tony gestured to him to step out.

“Together,” Steve suggested.

That this was a terribly corny thing to say didn't explain why Tony's throat was suddenly a little drier.

 _Must be the excitement_ , he told himself and together they stepped out onto a new planet.

It wasn’t the first alien planet Tony had visited. Thor had given him a tour, Carol had taken him to check out a few places, Nebula had given him a taste for exploration. For Steve this was only the second time in his life to leave a spaceship not knowing what to expect and while Tony was taking in the landscape with wide eyes and a mind for all the science he wanted to do here, he kept one eye on Steve.

They stood together in front of the Joyride and looked around, the suit and FRIDAY were feeding him data on everything he saw.

Steve only took a few steps out before surveying the area and then took a deep breath. “Fresh air. I didn’t even realize how much I missed it.”

“You can take a run around the spaceship now, instead of running on a treadmill,” Tony suggested with a wink.

“Maybe later.” The horizon drew Steve’s eyes: “What time of day is it here?”

“Shorter days. 16-hour cycles,” Tony read. “We’ll have to see how not to mess up our sleep cycles.”

“We’re retired. We can sleep whenever we want to. And right now I don’t want to.”

There it was again. True enthusiasm. Just like Tony had seen in Steve when they took their little stroll on the moon.

“You’re really excited about this?” Right now his being was filled with a joyous fever that wanted to drive him forward, take off in the armor and check out what there was to see.

“Where do we start? Setting up camp? Securing a perimeter?”

“With Quill’s people, this was where we threw down some blankets and slept and then got food.”

“And with Thor?”

“And with Thor, I was already deep in trouble at this point. He wouldn’T have set down on a planet with animals that don’t reach at least his knee though. What do you hunt here?”

Steve chuckled. “And us? What do we do? The science way?”

“Oh, Steve, I am enjoying this way more than I thought I would. Let’s set down poles to make an electric fence here, to keep any of the small things out.” He gestured in a semicircle. “Then we look for water. And then I take you flying.”

“Sounds perfect to me. I don’t think you ever took me flying just for fun.”

“I did all the time, too.”

“In the Quinjet. Twice,” Steve countered.

“Only twice? You counted?”

With a shrug, Steve closed the line of questioning and then stepped back towards the ship. “I’ll get the poles, boss,” he said, no mocking in his voice or stance.

Tony’s throat was still dry.

Time to hydrate. Alien planet. Fresh air. That must be why his throat felt so dry, right?

And then it hit him: they were light years away from earth. This wasn’t a disaster-stricken planet like Titan, not Asgard Two, not a planet anyone had led him to. This was the first time he had picked the destination and landed. This was _it_. This was how it was going to be now, for as long as he wanted. They could stay for as long as they wanted or pick up and look for another planet. There were solar systems out there with intelligent life that had never met human beings before -- so much still to discover and learn, but this right here, this was where his exploration trip started.

“It’s amazing,” he whispered to himself. A breeze brushed over his face, far away the emerald mountains were catching the light of a sun that shone with the comfortable light of a warm LED. Around him, the lilac grass bent with the wind. It was amazing. No human being had set eye on this before now.

He heard the click of a shutter and the noise of the Polaroid camera.

When he turned, Steve was standing inside the hatch and had already pulled the picture from the camera to hold it up in front of his face and wait for it to develop. “Sorry,” he said because he knew Tony had noticed him, “you just looked so happy.”

“I am happy.”

“This is amazing. Thank you for taking me,” Steve said quickly, but he was studying the picture.

“You do have a smartphone that’s pretty much nothing but a camera out here. You do know that?” Tony asked.

“I intend to use it. But I think I’m beginning to like this. Looks like you found me a hobby and my place in the expedition.”

He held up the picture.

From where he was standing Tony could only guess that he was on it, but nodded anyway.

“It’ll look good with the others.”

“You do realize it’s a view window,” he admonished, conveniently ignoring that it had been him taping the pictures of Steve to it in the first place.

“Room for the important ones,” Steve said, and with a pleased grin, took another as Tony stuck out his tongue at him like any sensible adult would.

“You're fun, Steve. Why am I only discovering this now?”

 _You_ did _have fun with him before. Remember after New York? After the initial tension? Things were easy between you for a while then, before you messed up and he let you know how much so at every turn, and then he messed up and..._

“You're not so bad yourself,” Steve returned and carried the first pole of the electric perimeter fence that Tony had developed past him to push it into the ground with a single shove. Together they set up all eight poles quickly. After activation these generated a powerful force field that would protect the ship and anyone inside it. He wasn't sure they needed it but setting up a procedure that would keep them and their home safe.

“Now?” Steve asked. “How about that flight?”

Tony let the nanites bleed up until the mask closed over his face and held out an arm. “I think I remember why we never did this before. Step into my arms and hold on tight darling.”

Without hesitation Steve did as he was told, his arms settling around the armor's shoulders. “This something you only did with Pepper?”

“And Rhodey one or twice before he stole himself a War Machine. And people I catch from falling.”

“I can throw myself from a cliff if we found one if that makes it less awkward for you.”

“I hear you think parachutes are overrated.”

“Everyone has to live a little.”

Tony launched them into the air, delighted that Steve laughed against the wind. Seeing the world from up among the clouds was even more amazing. From here they could see the woods spread out in all directions, thick and a bright emerald green. The only things that shone a brighter green were the rocks and mountains. The clear streams of nearby rivers also shone green from the rocks in their beds.

“What do you think makes the color?” Steve asked when they set down by a river bank.

Tony picked up a rock. “Minerals.” He took a rock with him to run some scans on and wondered if somewhere out here they would find the origin of Vibranium. Wakandan history talked about a meteor that had crashed on earth. But where had it come from? Why had only that one meteor brought Vibranium? One day he might find the answer.

They replenished their water tanks and Tony set about taking the first probes and analyzing.

In the evening they sat in the grass in front of the _Joyride_ and watched the sky turn a dark violet. It was still warm enough not be uncomfortable and they made a small pick-nick of their supplies.

Steve looked at their small selection of sandwiches and note: “Right now the food storage unit is working and we have more than enough, but some point we'll have to restock.”

“We haven't set out yet to see what this planet has to offer. Fruit and vegetables that are digested by local fauna could sustain us. Could be incredibly toxic. Who knows. We'll find out. There are planets out there that have good food though. Visited on or two. We won't run into problems, but new culinary delights await.”

With a lopsided grin, Steve snatched a ham and cheese sandwich and let himself fall back to stare up at the sky as he ate. Tony nibbled a bit at an apple before he also lay down in the lilac grass. It smelled of freshly mowed grass but with a note of cinnamon and Tony breathe it in to commit it to memory.

“This is way more peaceful than I expected,” Steve admitted. “I mean you said we would go looking for new planets and explore and I know there may be dangers lurking that we haven't discovered in the few hours we were here, but I had expected us to run into the Kree or another highly advanced species five minutes out and get into trouble.”

“Does that mean you came along to protect me?”

“That too,” Steve said and while it sounded like a joke, it also sounded like an earnest admission.

“Will you get bored here?”

“No chance,” Steve shot back.

“Then let's stay a few days.” Tony was already going through a list of things he wanted to see close-up, a number of readings he wanted to take. And as dusk set around them much faster than it would on earth, the sky showed a myriad of stars he'd never seen from this perspective and a corona of light painted the night sky in hues of soft electric blue. He sat up again to look around.

“Steve?” Around them, it had become dark and he couldn't see further than the light they had sat up reached. But out there in the darkness a soft blue light twinkled. Something was there.

Steve sat up, alert at the slightest hint that something was there.

Another light joined the first and then another.

In seconds there were hundreds, then thousands – and if on cue suddenly the tiny dots of lights unwound, tiny wings opening like those of unearthly triangular shaped butterflies and the small creatures swung into the air, a massive swarm of tiny lights. A whirlwind of fluttering wings rose towards the night, dancing above them.

Amazed, they watched the magnificent spectacle.

“I won't get bored,” Steve finally said into the silence.

Breathlessly, Tony chuckled. “Okay, yeah, not bored at all.”

* * *

On their little planet that Tony designated “Oz” on their own space chart they stayed for three weeks, changing location only once to be closer to the mountains.

Steve had started a systematic collection of pictures – digital not made with the Polaroid – and to Tony's surprise started working on maps right away, making his own sketches and then going with FRIDAY over topographical data in the evenings and letting her project the maps in 3D so he and Tony could go over what they'd seen that day and mark it down on the map.

Tony had known Steve was handy in a fight. He was discovering that Steve was also more than the brawn on this exploration quest.

It would be a shame when at some point they were going to split up. Tony would really miss all this.

That evening they sat in the high lilac grass closer to the woods, watching small animals with dark green coats play on the edge of it. They looked like guinea pigs that had fallen into the wrong pot of color. Their ears were the wrong shape and their eyes a strange glazed violet. They roared like Elks if they thought there was danger about, but so far the only danger they’d reacted to were Steve and Tony.

“I didn’t think you were the type to go animal watching,” Steve admitted.

“I never saw animals like these before. And I usually don’t have the time,” he explained. “I wanted to have a pet when I was eight and that led to the worst discussion of priorities I had in my life. And that includes any argument I had about the topic with SHIELD, you and Ross. And let’s not forget Pepper.”

Steve blinked. “I’m seeing a new side of you every day.”

“That goes both ways,” he admitted. “I’m beginning to see what people see in team building activities.”

The watched the little things camper off back to the forest and walked back to their ship in silence.

“I’m getting contemplative, Steve. Let’s go visit somewhere with hustling and bustling next.”

His mind was made up and Steve nodded, having no objections.

FRIDAY piped up: “Incoming message from the Milano.”

“Milano?”

“Quill’s ship. Play it for me, FRIDAY.”

From one of their new communication cards that he had slotted into the scanner he wore on his wrist at all times, the picture of Gamora sprang up: “Nebula sent me the same message. She’s been off the map for weeks. Last time she told me anything it sounded like she was searching for something while avoiding the kind of trouble that comes with a Wanted poster. We’re near Asgard. In case you want to get in trouble on a casino trouble this time, Rocket says to tell you to take us along.”

Her figure vanished. “Fine with meeting some friends?”

Steve shrugged his shoulders. “Not sure I’m okay with gambling, but I’m interested in seeing what Trees are like when they grow up.”

“A menace is what that one is…” Tony said and rolled his eyes. “No wonder seeing who brought him up.”

But it was settled. He sent out a message to Gamora, letting her know their general course towards Asgard and asked for suggestions. At the moment he was open to some sightseeing. Especially if it promised another chance to see a spaceport and meet the kind of technology that made the future. Together they made sure everything was in order. Steve checked the water and filled up the tanks one final time and Tony convinced himself that the arc reactor powered repulsor engine was running like a purring cat. Then they took off, promising themselves that they would come back one day to see what had become of the peaceful little planet.

“Next stop, somewhere closer to Asgard,” Tony said. “Look at a map and pick a spot.”

“It’s a road trip,” Steve realized with a mirthful laugh and grinned even wider when they rocked through the atmosphere and Tony told FRIDAY to play some music because the cracking noises of the hull made him nervous.

“You realize that now?”

They laughed together until they were back in deep space, speeding towards whatever lay ahead.

* * *

The planet was called Te’l’ant’lax in the language of the natives who used clicking sounds to communicate. Tony had not yet managed to pronounce it. The planet itself was what Gamora described as a hive. The Lax were the dominant race here and were highly developed insectoids, smart and experienced spacefarers. They had built trade outposts all over the known galaxy, but this was their homeworld.

“You like it?” Quill asked and wrinkled his nose as if the humid air in the hive-like city complex was beneath him. Gamora boxed him in the ribs to get him to shut up.

“You like him better than me,” Quill complained.

“She just wants to talk an adult once in a while, Quill. Give her the chance.”

Quill grumbled something about being the son of an advanced being. But Tony had an easy time ignoring it. Across the room, he was watching Steve and Rocket communicate with their lively tree friend. It was hard to tell from here how the conversation was going, but even from here Tony could see that Steve was relaxed and happy. He used his hands more than he usually would to gesture throughout the conversation and Groot was mimicking him every now and then.

As if he could feel him watching Steve looked up to meet his eyes and grinned.

Still stunned every time this happened as if they had always been this comfortable with each other, Tony smiled back. Then he turned back to Gamora who was watching him with _an expression_. “What?”

Her eyebrow arched up.

“You look like a very green, Mr. Spock, when you do this.”

“Like who?”

He shrugged and asked again: “What?”

“You two make a good team?”

“What, Cap and me?”

“I was told you two don’t get along.”

“We do get along fine,” he said, not sure why this put him on the offensive.

“I can see that,” Gamora said with a crinkle in her brow and, walking up to them just at that moment, Mantis offered: “He likes you too.”

“Okay,” Tony said accepting that as the perfect cue to end the line this conversation was taking. “Nebula? She in trouble?”

The nonchalant way in which Gamora leaned back to shrug, reminded Tony of Natasha now -- not one bit Spock in it. “We’re who we are. History has a way of following us around.”

“Don’t I know,” he said.

She cocked her head and quirked an eyebrow again, making him laugh. He was not going to explain why the expression was so funny to him on the face of a sexy green space woman, because he was sure Gamora possessed the means to kill him without even leaving the chair if he explained about what Orion slave girl fantasies meant for someone with an Earth background. The way Mantis zoned in on him probably meant she could _feel_ some of it.

“Why are you amused and scared at the same time?” she asked.

“Because I’m a complicated man and like to stay alive,” he said and grinned at her. Out of the bunch Mantis probably made him the most uncomfortable, but he liked her a lot.

“Are you worried about Nebula?” she asked.

“Aren’t you,” he asked in Gamora’s direction.

“Nebula knows how to fend for herself. It’s a valuable skill both of us learned.”

“But?”

“She was looking for something. I think…” Gamora carefully scanned the crowd, let her eyes glide over Quill and Drax who were getting stinking drunk in a corner and then the rest of their friends across the room. “Tell him, Mantis.”

He realized that she was making sure nobody was listening in.

“She was scared by something. She didn’t tell me what, but I know.” The girl’s head moved back and forth and her fingers laced together, a sure sign for her that she was nervous.

“Looking for what?” he asked because the subterfuge gave him bad vibes.

“There’s been talk. A stone that turned into a river, influencing the mind.”

“Oh,” he said and his stomach dropped. Now he could identify the bad feeling.

“It might only be talk. In the aftermath of all this.”

“Might. But when are we ever that lucky? Where did she go?”

“As far as I can tell she left for uncharted galaxies.”

“Helpful.”

Gamora shrugged. “If you see her before I do, tell her I miss her.” She stood up and clapped a hand to his shoulder. “And look out for your friend. He’s a good one.”

“He is,” Tony said without hesitation.

“He feels warm around you,” Mantis said and got to her feet at the same time Gamora did, leaving Tony to figure out what had just happened. Was traveling with Steve going o well that he was letting his guard down? He had worked past the stage of unrequited crushes, surely?

Steve trailed over. “They’re leaving. We can meet up again on Asgard.”

“Asgard _Two_ , please. We don’t want to confuse the historians.”

“Think it’ll catch on.”

“No,” he admitted. “They should have called it Thor’s World and it would have been a marketing success, I swear. Tourist would have flocked to Thor’s World.”

“We can be tourists,” Steve suggested.

“Yeah, but here. Want to stay for another day?”

They stayed for another two days.

* * *

Living in close quarters turned out to be less than a challenge than Tony had expected most days. He suspected they both were trying their best to be accommodating. Tony hadn’t properly lived with a roommate since college and that had often been disastrous until Rhodey had taken pity on him and let him have a room at his place. He’d lived with Pepper, of course, but in a house that had allowed him to retreat into his own little kingdom whenever it got too much -- and she’d been at the company more than at home most days. Even with the Avengers, he’d always had the option to retreat.

Strategic avoidance was still possible. He had the lab and garage, both of which served as a workshop. Steve spent a good deal of his time reading up on things with FRIDAY’s help or training in the main area. It was possible for them to go through their day without tripping over each other.

Their bunks were right next to each other and there was only the one bathroom through and right now that was occupied. Following his morning routine, Steve was taking a shower. Tony had crawled out of his tiny workshop with oil in his hair, sweaty from hauling stuff around wishing for nothing more than a shower and sleep though. Trying to be patient, he had started to go through the stocks in their space kitchenette instead.

It wasn’t the best time to make himself coffee, but he strongly considered it anyway. Once he had looked at the dwindling stocks of coffee beans, he thought better of it.

“We might have to start rationing the essentials,” he called. Going by the noises he could tell that Steve had exited the shower and was about to step out of the bathroom.

“Running low?”

“On coffee,” Tony clarified, his head still in the cupboard going through the different tightly packed compartments. “We'll have to get used to alien food.”

The bathroom door opened. “I liked that stuff we had down on the last planet,” Steve said, “but I admit I will miss some more familiar food. Can you live without coffee?”

Tony swayed his head, contemplating this. “I did it before. And there must be substitutes out here that’ll do. We can leave a shopping list with Thor? Ask our friends to send us the things we need? That was the plan.”

“You sound like that’s not the plan anymore?”

Was that still the plan?

He shook his head, nodded -- took another moment to think it over and turned around to discuss it. Only whatever thought he’d had fled his mind _instantaneously_.

Steve stood there, a small towel wrapped around his hips, opening a compartment on the other side o the room with one hand to get at a new bottle of shampoo. It was a _small_ towel; Steve did his best to hold it wrapped around his bottom, which gave Tony an even better view of the taut muscles underneath.

When Steve turned and threw the bottle at him, he nearly let it drop.

“I used up the last one in there and you look like you need to clean up and get some shut-eye.”

“Yes, sir,” Tony said and failed to move; even a mocking salute was more than he could manage as he watched Steve walk away to his bunk to get dressed.

He'd been fine for weeks, but suddenly the space here seemed much too small.

“Oh boy,” he muttered and fled to the bathroom. Time for a shower.

Icy cold.

“You have the worst ideas, Stark,” he told himself. “How did you think this trip was a good idea?”

 _Because_ , the treacherous part of his mind offered, _it was the best idea we had in ages. Don’t let Steve know you’re leering though._

* * *

“It’s unbelievable to me that you can travel at light speed and for days without meeting anyone and then, bam, you drop out of… whatever you call it.”

“Hyperspace,” Tony suggested. He hadn’t chosen the name for it yet. He had heard it called different things by different people now and had decided to call it WARP when he wanted to be annoying and hyperspace when he wanted to have a civil conversation. Considering the last seven days the only person to have a conversation _with_ had been Steve, it was perhaps surprising that Tony kept peacefully walking by his side, feeling no urge to snap or antagonize. Around them, people of different species were walking from exhibit to exhibit and making excited noises.

they were walking past another piece of what Tony supposed was post-modern art in all parts of the known universe. Pepper would have liked it. Steve… was getting the hang of it too. If Tony had any of the right credits to his name on this planet, he would have tried to buy something for him to keep.

“It’s unbelievable to me that you can go from nothingness and empty space to a world that’s as crowded as this one,” Steve finished his thought.

“It’s only this crowded because of the races. People come from all over the galaxy to see them,” an unfamiliar voice said from behind them and Tony turned to see who had spoken to them. He was getting used to the idea that anyone could understand anything with the help of the universal translator out here. The person behind them was a green-skinned alien with reptilian skin and dark black-blue hair. Tony would have said he was talking to a guy, but he was trying to keep an open mind there -- with all the things he didn’t know about this universe and people of all shapes and sizes. Holding back judgment seemed like a good idea when the only description he could think of right now was handsome half-orc.

“That’s it,” he stage-whispered to Steve, “next time we go to a planet where we’re the only space tourists.”

The man gave Steve a brief glance before turning back to study Tony. “Where are you from? You look Kree?”

“Human,” Steve said decisively and a frown formed on his brow.

“From Earth,” Tony offered when he realized that the alien had no idea what a human was.

“Interesting. Your planet… Earth? Your people slew Thanos.”

The icy cold finger of memory stroked along his spine. The universe had been set right, but the memory of all they’d lost was still too fresh. And Gamora’s words had stirred it. Nebula was out there and searching for something she deemed dangerous enough to make secrecy necessary.

Thanos.

Daughter of Thanos.

Every time Tony thought about it he wondered if it was really over.

“Yes,” Tony said and put force into it, hinting at the danger that was lurking beneath his harmless human looks, “out people did.”

Steve took a step forward to stand beside him. “Earth had friends, but yes,” he said.

Tony wanted to chuckle at the obvious addition to his threat. Earth wasn’t the underdeveloped planet that had recently been put on the map of the space-faring civilizations. It was a planet with allies and the kind of strength that had stopped the biggest threat the universe had known yet.

“Interesting,” the alien repeated and inclined his head, giving them a parting smile. “Enjoy the races.”

“Why do I feel now like we shouldn’t have said that?”

Beside him, Steve had straightened his back and looked anything but relaxed. “I think it was necessary to make a point.”

“For interplanetary exchange?”

“No,” he said. “To warn him off.”

That startled Tony. “He gave you bad vibes?”

And Steve held his gaze and announced: “I’ve seen him before. In that hive. He was watching you and Gamora from across the bar. And he wasn’t alone. I still see his friend. He’s watching us from the entrance. Don’t look.”

“Chance?”

“Might be,” Steve admitted, but in the tone that said: _Unlikely_

“Why is it that I have no taste for the races all of a sudden?” He kept himself from grimacing. It would be a shame to miss out on the main event, but he was here for science more than socializing.

“Let's not miss out on an event we didn't even know was an extraordinary tourist attraction, Tony. This is after all our retirement. And -- ” he added with a smirk, “we didn't run into any trouble so far and we knew it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“I can't even tell if you're saying I can't stay out of trouble –- or if this is what usually happens with you.”

“Not much experience in the running around space department, but mine was never a trouble-free life. And from what I know about you...”

“Point taken,” he said before Steve could finish the sentence, leading him away from the sculptures to find out what they had to do to secure a spot at the races. He had heard so much about the racing pods in the few hours since arrival.

The races themselves were hard to follow. The top speeds _were_ crazy, the racetrack an adventure zone with traps and hurdles for the flying coffin shaped pods. There were obscure rules and regulations that would have put the FIA and their Formula One to shame. It took Tony about twenty-five minutes to say: “Number 42 would have done better with a better chassis.”

“Of course.” Steve laughed. “You have it all figured out.”

“The thermodynamics involved aren't new. The electronics, the AIs –- those are sophisticated. Iron Man would win though.”

“I'm sorry, Tony. Natasha warned me. You're not entering a race on my watch.”

“Who said anything about entering? I'm neither dead nor that bored today. Also –- Asgardian Moon Grand Prix Champion here. Come on, let's stock up on supplies and go.”

Steve, Tony had discovered, liked to haggle. He left the negotiations to him for that reason and got himself something of the local green soup that wasn't exactly tea and not exactly coffee but somewhere between the two.

“The human! How did you like the races so far?”

“Exciting,” Tony returned like a man who had never been more bored. It was the same green-skinned, leather-clad alien from before, but this time he had his friend in tow.

The new person asked: “Earth has been the talk in many of the spaceports. It's true then? Your Avengers freed the universe of Thanos?”

“Avengers,” Tony repeated carefully. “You people know about that?”

Behind his two new companions, Steve had stopped the haggling an was returning.

“Yes, everyone knows of them. They say Thanos knew of Stark. He's said to be the strongest. The Iron Man.”

A shiver ran down his spine. It all came back to Thanos. He caught Steve's eyes before the others knew he was there and like a flash it came to him: “Iron Man? He isn't the strongest. Hulk is. And there's Thor, of course. Surely you've heard of him. All our great and glorious heroes.”

“The Asgardians are strong. I hear they are rebuilding. Is Thor still on earth?”

Tony shrugged and Steve narrowed his eyes at him. “Who knows with these heroes, huh?”

Steve reached them. “Why the interest in Earth?”

“Your Avengers defeated the greatest threat to the universe. People are taking an interest. The Avengers are known now. You wouldn't be...?”

Ah, there it was. The question he'd been dreading. Hoping to cover the nervousness he laughed.

But Steve was quicker: “We're not Avengers. We're simply travelers.”

“That's a shame. I really would have liked to thank your heroes in person. Will you tell us more?”

“The Avengers,” Steve affirmed, “are on Earth; _protecting_ Earth. We are all very grateful for that. If you want to know more that's where you should look for answers. We can't help you.”

“Really, shame,” the one who had approached them before said and nodded. “Perhaps one day we will travel to Earth.”

They watched the two of them go.

“We're not Avengers?” Tony whispered. I didn't know you could lie.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Yes, of course, you know. How did you think I survived on the run.” He sounded so miffed about Tony's assumption that Tony wanted to laugh and even more because Steve undermined his own affirmation by adding: “And it wasn't a lie. We're retired. No Avengers.”

Tony couldn't help it. He chuckled. “I'll keep it in mind. You know what? Let's run to Asgard. I think I have an idea for an upgrade for our girl. The pod race made me think: What if we can travel like Thor? Opening a portal and wham, go wherever we want.”

This time Steve was the one who couldn't hide his amusement. “You know what? Why not. I'm ready to see Asgard Two.”

And that they'd leave potential trouble behind was only an added bonus.

Back on board the _Joyride_ , they both strapped themselves in for take-off. FRIDAY monitored the comings and goings at the spaceport but found no sign of their two curious aliens acquaintances. “What do you think they wanted from us? Truly?”

“Who knows?” Tony shrugged his shoulder, glad that FRIDAY wasn't reporting anything suspicious. “Gamora is on many hit lists. They saw us together and took an interest, maybe? Or... We're strangers out here. They might have been curious. And the story of Thanos did make a splash. Half the universe dead one minute, time turned back the next. Not all people remember. But some of the ones who lived in both timelines remember. Thor says it's a legend already.”

“Thor was brought up on legends.”

“So was I,” Tony pointed out and wriggled his eyebrows at Steve. “Nobody told me I'd go on a space road trip with them when I grew up.”

“Would it have changed anything if you'd known?”

“Nah,” Tony said. “I'm right where I want to be.” And that, for now, he was traveling with Steve was not something he wanted to change. And hadn't times _changed_ to admit that?

“Good, because I'm enjoying myself. Even without confronting the trouble back there.”

He leaned into his seat and let Steve run through the preparations, strong super soldier hands running over the controls with practice. It seemed the right time to play with open cards. So far keeping secrets hadn't worked well for either of them. “I've been waiting to hear from Nebula,” he said while Steve took them off towards the stars.

“I know. No word?”

“No, she sent me a message about going off the map. Gamora doesn't know where she's exactly, but she thought trouble was following her, that Nebula was looking for something. People _are_ taking an interest in what happened on Earth. Thanos story has spread. Many cultures knew about the Gems and...”

A sideways glance, then Steve nodded. “You think her trouble found us?”

He shrugged. “Not necessarily. But it's a possibility. Let's keep our eyes open.”

“Let's be on our guard,” Steve agreed. “After all we're no longer heroes on duty.”

“Right,” Tony said.

* * *

Asgard had grown in Tony's absence. Already a city had formed and a palace was being built. It shone, bright and golden, visible in space from far away.

It would be a Gem in its own right soon.

Thor welcomed them as friends and Tony let Steve recount their recent adventures. To hear it all told through his words and from his perspective was its own excitement. A warm glow grew every time Steve showed glimmers of a cheerful joy that Tony had rarely noticed in him on Earth. Space was doing for Steve what it had done for Tony before: after all the poor guy had lived through, all the fights he'd endured, now, in light of the grandness out here that put your own existence into perspective, he could relax.

Despite the excitement, they no longer owed anything.

Not to Earth or their names or the symbols they had built.

“We brought a whole load of things for you,” Tony announced when Thor had finished a tour of the council chamber he was building that looked like their Avengers conference space more than a grandiose throne room. “Supplies, Earth food, engineering solutions. Bruce sent some things.”

Loki, who had kept his distance since their arrival, rolled his eyes. “You're running a food delivery now? Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”

“I'm running a spaceship,” Tony answered him, the sarcasm in Loki's tone unable to touch him. “By the way, Thor, can I use the space doc to do some work on said spaceship. I want to make sure she's at her best when we head out again.”

Thor inclined his head. “Of course, do you want to sleep in your own bed or would you prefer to see the guest rooms.”

“Rooms sound amazing,” he admitted.

Steve grinned. “We're here for the cultural experience.”

“Ah,” Thor laughed. “You shall enjoy Asgard’s hospitality, my friends.”

“We shall? My liege,” Tony said with a mock bow, “weren't we past that Shakespearean solemnity?”

“This Asgard, my friend. We can go hang out in New York another time.”

It was good to hear Steve laugh before Thor and Tony joined in. Friendship. They'd been there before for short and amazing periods of time but being here now –- _together_ , the three of them after everything –- was like a joyous miracle.

From what Tony could see Steve liked Asgard Two. He and Thor spent a lot of time together, training, exploring, exchanging stories. They saw each other every day but were happy enough to follow their own interests for as long as they were here.

They made no plans for how long the _Joyride_ would remain on Asgard Two and as long as Tony was busy upgrading their engine and Hyperdrive systems there was no need to discuss it. Without a working engine, they wouldn't be going anywhere. Tony consulted with the giant dwarfs that were helping with construction in the palace and they were happy enough to exchange knowledge that to them seemed inconsequential and warmed up to him when they realized he was ready to give up his own knowledge in exchange for help.

Thor had given them rooms in the growing royal palace. Steve's rooms were across from his. Both of them had missed the comfort of a soft bed and space that they could have to themselves. It was luxury that hadn't mattered until now. For the first three days, Tony took full advantage of the rooms, on the forth he realized he hadn't seen Steve since breakfast and the big room seemed terribly empty.

He found himself walking back to his spaceship to finish up the final adjustments and as always working with his hands helped him to feel right at home. He climbed between engine parts, came up looking like a dirty car mechanic and decided to clean up right here. There were big comfortable baths waiting for him back at the palace, but why fly all the way back there if you had a functional bathroom right here.

At some point he might have to rethink the concept of hot showers in favor of water conservation –- especially if he was planning to go into uncharted territories soon. But that was of no concern right now. He took full advantage of the shower and warm water supplies, drying himself off haphazardly with a towel and walking out in nothing but a new pair of training pants to see how the simulated engine tests were going. He hadn't taken more than a step out of the shower when he bumped nose first into Steve, who stumbled and caught himself against the common room table.

“Easy,” he said.

When Tony looked up, startled and confused, Steve's flushed face was close enough for kissing. Not that he was thinking about kissing.

Or anything.

Or actually now he had thought of it and they were both the same shade of flushed pink now.

He extracted himself. “Steve! Hey, I didn't know you were...”

“Tony,” Steve said and cleared his throat, “I thought you had returned to your quarters already.”

“I wasn't going to... Why are you here and not back at your rooms?”

Steve looked at him sheepishly which was not an expression that fitted him well. “I've been sleeping here.”

“Oh, ehm, I... How did I not notice?”

“I didn't want to get in the way of the work, but... I've become used to... It's good to see you. I missed you at lunch and dinner.”

“I've given the engines an overhaul. The plan's still to go after Nebula and figure out whatever she was looking for in uncharted space.”

“When do we leave?”

“You're still in?”

Steve's eyes narrowed when he cleared his throat again. “Why do you make it sound again like my open invitation was revoked.”

“That's not it at all,” he shot back and was surprised how much he meant it. “I like traveling with you. But this is the last outpost –- the point of no return. After this, there will be no easy way to get you back to Earth for however long it takes. You understand that.”

“I'm not going back without you,” Steve said.

His throat went dry. “But that's just it, Steve. I might not want to go back. I don't know yet, but I love this. I want to go further.”

“Fine with me,” Steve said, “but you're not going alone.”

He was floored. “Okay, just as long as we're both sure we know what we're getting into.”

And with Steve glowering at him, Tony wasn't sure at all he knew what _hestaring_.

“What?”

“I've never seen you...” he started and his hand came up to settle over the triangular compartment in his chest.

He forgot to breathe, keeping still. Nobody but Pepper had ever been allowed to touch the nanite container. There were too many bad memories of the arc reactor locked in his mind. But Steve's touch was gentle and exploring, as he carefully let the fingers slide along the sharp edges, making goosebumps rise on Tony skin.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, no hurt.”

“How deep does it go?” Steve's fingers were touching skin now, testing the flesh and muscles.

“Not deep, but what you're feeling is the circuitry.”

“You have electronics in your chest?” Steve's eyes widened. “Why would you do that to yourself?”

Pepper had asked that over and over again, so perhaps it was understandable that his first reflex was to go on the offensive and say something unkind. _Why did you let yourself be shot up with experimental serum?_ He stomped down on the urge instantly. “It's not as bad as it sounds. It's like a sturdier sheen of muscles. With a modified version of Extremis and the nanites, it was easy to grow with minor discomfort.”

Steve didn't look mollified. When he pulled away Tony felt the loss of it more keenly than he would have expected. “You really are Iron Man.”

“Hi, yeah, that's me. Retired, but you can't take Iron Man out of this Iron Man.”

“I fear you can't take Cap out of this Captain America either.” Steve walked over to the bunks and opened the compartment where he stored his belongings.

That there was an appropriate distance between them now helped Tony clear his head. What the hell was he thinking –- daydreaming about kissing when Steve was right here and... had Steve just _touched him_ him? What the hell was wrong with both of them?

From his compartment, Steve pulled the familiar perfect sphere of the shield with the red, white and blue colors.

“You brought it,” Tony said. Admittedly he was only surprised that it had taken Steve so long to pull it out of his luggage, not that he had taken it with him.

“Can you design me a suit that makes it easy to carry?”

“You mean a new one?”

“A not-Cap one.”

He tried to think of a design that would be Steve but without Captain America and came out at something similar to what Steve had worn during his years on the run only cleaner. Dark blue with some red and white highlights. No room for hacked up sleeves to accommodate possible conversion into a full-on space suit.

“Hmmmm.” He thought it over then nodded. “I think so. Any preferences as to color?”

Steve shrugged and said: “I'll leave it to you.”

FRIDAY chirped up: “Inconspicuous hot-rod red then.”

“Not for him,” Tony said and rolled his eyes.

Steve grinned and his eyes linger on Tony.

He was still dressed in nothing but track pants, his chest exposed to view. Feeling self-conscious and exposed he grabbed a shit and pulled it on. “Alright,” he said, “suit is on the list. Now as we're both here, let's sleep and see about it tomorrow.”

After he'd crawled into his birth, he listened to Steve moving around the silent spaceship and realized he'd missed the comfort of the familiar presence.

He fell asleep without a problem this time.

* * *

By the time they left Asgard Steve had a new suit and Tony had taken the time to design a new outfit that could double as under armor for himself too. The dark fabric with the red highlights turned out to be his favorite yet.

They were going back to space, in a newly overhauled spaceship, looking bright and shiny themselves –- and Tony was coming to grips with the idea that Steve had decided to stay on.

“I'm in this for the long haul,” Steve had affirmed and Tony hadn't found it in himself to argue.

“Don't follow me. Watch your step,” he read out loud.

Steve looked over his shoulder.

He had tried to reach Nebula's receiver one more time and that had been the answer coming back.

“Is she warning us off?”

“Sounds like she's advising against going into uncharted space?” Steve was frowning as if he was considering listening to it. But then he said in true Steve Rogers fashion: “She knows you? So she knows this won't put you off and we're going.”

“She knows me well enough.”

At the moment Steve wasn't wearing his new suit, but jeans and a t-shirt. Until a minute ago when the message had come in he'd been sitting in their common room reading an old book –- of all things! –- that Thor had given to him. The book had star charts of what Asgardians called the “lost regions.” Odin had traveled far and wide before settling in Asgard and some of that pre-Asgardian knowledge had made its way into the charts.

Steve was preparing for their expedition and despite the smell of old parchment and leather, Tony didn't find it in himself to make fun of him.

“Let's find us an interesting star cluster or nebula of the non-humanoid kind and learn more about space.

For as long as their provision allowed for it they did just that –- Steve amused himself with reading and keeping their little treadmill busy, but also took an interest in Tony's experiments. They scanned systems that were older than the solar system they'd come from, analyzed stardust and followed the orbits of the celestial bodies that promised to be interesting. Very few planets out here allowed for visitors and they went spacewalking only once on a dead and barren planet that was comparable to Mars.

He spent the next few hours analyzing dust they'd brought back, but ultimately decided they wanted to move on. Their attempts to locate Nebula hadn't brought any result, but Tony was convinced they were getting closer.

He had gone to sleep by the time that a proximity alarm was set off.

“FRIDAY?” Tony pushed himself from the berth and padded back to the pilot seat, bleary-eyed, where Steve was keeping an eye on the equipment.

“Small ship,” he said, “has been following us for an hour but stayed just beyond scanner range.”

“And now?”

“They're getting bold or have received new orders.”

FRIDAY said: “They are scanning us.”

“Open channels and signal we're ready to talk?”

“Tried that,” Steve said. “This is what we got back.”

He let FRIDAY replay the message for them: _You have entered Ta'a space. Identify yourself._

“We can do that.”

Steve shrugged. There wasn't much they could do right now, but get ready for a fight if the Ta'a –- whoever they were -- were looking for a fight.

“Our shields haven't been tested yet, but get them up FRIDAY.”

“Security systems work like a Quinjet?” Steve took the controls.

“Yes, and we have an added surprise-Iron-Man system if we need it.”

“Retirement,” Steve reminded him with a half-hidden smile.

“Yes, calm and boring, isn't it?”

He opened the channel and announced: “This is the U.S.S. Joyride. We're travelers from far out planet Earth purely interested in science and cultural exchange.”

They waited.

 _Earth?_ the next message repeated.

“Yes,” Tony said.

There was a long pause in which nothing at all happened. Then FRIDAY indicated another incoming message: _Our prelate is interested in meeting travelers who have come this far._

“That's a little anticlimactic, but better than the alternatives,” Tony joked.

Steve shrugged. “Let's meet them? We are here to meet new civilizations, right?”

“Oh, yes, we are.” Tony opened the channel again and said: “We are looking forward to a meeting. How do we proceed?”

There was another moment of silence then the by now familiar voice drifted through their comm system: _Follow us to Ta'a Prime. We will welcome you there._

“We?” Steve said and shifted in his seat.

Tony mused: “Another empire?”

“I don't like it. Could be a trap.”

“Could be,” Tony agreed. “But what else can we do for now but follow their lead? We don't want to make this a fight if it doesn't have to be one.”

Steve shrugged and leaned back. “Let's enjoy the view then.”

They let the other spacecraft lead the way at a repulsor level that was mid-range for the . Tony kept a close watch on the controls. “They are still trying to scan our systems. Set up jammers, FRIDAY. We don't want to give up all our secrets.”

While Tony was busy with that Steve let their own long-range scanners paint them a picture of the galaxy they were passing through –- until at long last, they entered a small four planet solar system. A huge far-out planet was the first they saw. It was covered in ice and snow.

_You can proceed to land._

“On that rock of ice?” Steve asked without enthusiasm.

Tony couldn't blame him. With his history, it was no wonder he wasn't looking forward to another chance to become frozen.

“Look at that,” he said instead. “Up there.”

A space station hung above the planet like a dark moon.

They took the _Joyride_ to the indicated landing pad and Tony set it down without FRIDAY's, leaving AI and ship with instructions for a complete lock-down until they returned.

“Better safe than sorry,” Steve nodded.

They were both in their new suits already, but Tony rummaged around the storage unit until he found two thick jackets made for arctic temperatures to wear above them. Steve could withstand the cold and Tony was much sturdier these days than he had been before, but there was no need to be uncomfortable when making first contact.

They left the _Joyride_ side by side -- and Tony noted Steve had adjusted the leather straps on the shield to carry it over the jacket.

“Better safe than sorry,” he repeated, nodding at the shield.

“You have your armor with you wherever you go.”

A committee of three attendants in white clothing with huge unwieldy looking collars was waiting for them. All free of them had their faces hidden behind a thin dark-gray veil.

“Our prelate will see you,” the woman in front announced and gestured towards a pod.

He exchanged a quick look with Steve and they both looked back uneasily to the _Joyride_. The ship would be safe under lock-down. It would take a lot to drain her of shield power. But if these pods were taking them up to that space station there would be no quick way back to their ship if things went south. There was no reason yet to suspect any foul play though.

“Is it true you've come from Earth?” the attendant who settled them in their Pod asked.

“Yes, have you heard of it?” Steve asked back.

“The defeat of Thanos was reason enough to rejoice for all. Earth has been much talked about.”

Tony threw Steve another glance. “We are from Earth. We're explorers. Steve and Tony, explorers, that's us.” He omitted their last names. After the recent revelation that the name Stark had made it into intergalactic gossip racks dictated a measure of caution. They hadn't needed Iron Man or Captain America until now and if they could get by without them that was preferable.

“Our society values those who go beyond their limits to discover. You will find a vast library and laboratories on board the station.”

Steve looked back down to the ground when they lifted off. “Is there nothing on the planet? Is everything up there?”

“It wasn't always like that. Two arns ago the endless winter came and now only those of low caste live on the surface.”

They watched the surface become a perfect white mass. From up here, the details weren't visible. Only the white.

“Arns?” Steve asked.

“A measurement of time,” the attendant suggested.

From closer up the space station looked less like a moon and more like an enormous warship.

“Impressive,” he said politely and meant it to at least some degree. Engineering problems had been solved that Earth hadn't even thought about yet to build this station and Tony wouldn't be Tony if he weren't immediately interested, but right now he felt like someone who was being escorted to his own execution.

Why the interest in Earth? Again?

At the station the found that no rifles were trained on them. The prelate waited for them with a small group of advisers -– all clad in a similar fashion to the three aids who had picked them up. Only the prelate himself was dressed in a colored coat and wore no veil. His skin was white and his eyes a startling, warm yellow and his hair was bound up in a blonde ponytail; apart from the unusual coloring he looked very human and he greeted them with a friendly smile.

The prelate, Tony guessed, as something like the president or commander of this space station.

“We are honored,” he said and Tony threw a quick glance at Steve.

“Honored? We're only travelers,” Steve said cautiously. “It's an honor to us to be welcomed like this.”

“Of course,” the prelate opened his arms wide. “We don't often have visitors on Ta'a Prime. But it's our only source of news of the universe. And you're from a planet so far away. You must tell us all about it.”

To Tony's relief, they were invited to what looked like a state dinner and they picked their way through the food while the prelate asked them questions and gave them the opportunity to ask their own in turn.

“It's an impressive space station,” Tony remarked after Steve had given a short explanation of what Earth was like that had led them to a discussion of how humans differed from the Ta'a.

“Do you want to see more of it?” The prelate had insisted the call him by his name Va'naa'r and seemed a jovial, sociable person who delighted in showing the world what his people had achieved despite the hardship they'd endured with the ice age befalling their planet.

“I would be delighted.”

Steve hid his grin behind his napkin. “The trip was Tony's idea. He's the one who wanted to set out and learn more in the first place.”

Va'naa'r turned back to Steve to consider him: “Why did you come along? Are you the pilot?”

“We share the load,” Tony said quickly. Va'naa'r's curiosity was obvious, but Tony was still not sure how much they should reveal. “We are both pilots. He's our cartographer. Our survival expert.”

“Delightful,” Va'naa'r said and took a sip of the wine-like drink they'd all been offered. His eyes were back on Tony though. “You must tell me about your spacecraft and how it got you here? And, of course,” he said and stood, “we can have a tour now. You will find we have many facilities that could help you with advancement. Your friend,” and he looked at Steve, “would find the library interesting. We have star charts for many places outside our reach. Where are you going?”

“We have decided to go to uncharted space beyond your system. That's why we were passing through.”

“Uncharted space? How interesting. You are truly not searching for something specific?”

“Only exploring, charting the uncharted so to speak.”

Even Tony had by now picked up on the fact that Va'naa'r's attention had shifted mostly to him. He kept Tony engaged with engineering talk for a while until they reached the labs. “You can have a look around? If you want to ask questions? Our scientists are always ready to share their knowledge? But of course,” he said softly, “you must be tired? Where are my manners? We can have you set up in rooms. It would be my pleasure to finish the tour tomorrow.”

They nodded, seeing no reason to decline the offer and as quickly as the had been brought from planet to space station Tony found himself alone in a large suite, all furnished in white, that was bigger than the quarters he'd been offered when visiting Asgard Two. Uneasily he realized, that nobody had told him where Steve's rooms were.

* * *

He did get a good rest and wasn't too startled the next morning when he left his room to find that he had his own escort. It made sense. The station was vast and he was new here. Plus the Ta'a would have their own reasons to keep strangers from wandering their halls unattended. People didn't get to wander the R&D departments of Stark Industries without a visitors pass and a guide either.

Steve wasn't at breakfast, but Va'naa'r was waiting for him.

“Where's Steve?”

“He's taking advantage of our huge exercising facility. I understand one of his aids issued a challenge.”

Tony tried a tiny spoonful of good that he was sure was nutritious and healthy because it didn't have much else going for it. Steve liked to exercise in the mornings and if a gauntlet had been thrown he was sure Steve would not be the person to ignore it. He was going to defend the honor of planet Earth on the training mats or by beating sand sacks. “What do your people do for exercise?”

“Many training routines are available. Do you want to see the facilities?”

“Not right now, no. I was wondering what challenge Steve might have joined.”

“We call it Ta'ndaa'r.” He launched into an explanation of a game played with rackets and AI generated balls that sounded like a very complicated version of squash meeting chess. At some point, he might want to try it.

“Will Steve join us?”

“His aids will know where to find us,” Va'naa'r assured him.

For the next three hours, Tony was introduced to the delights of the space station’s engineering team. Va'naa'r, himself a scientist of great renown among his people, stayed for the first hour before business called him away.

Tony didn't see him again until lunch.

“You look like you had a delightful day.”

“Amazing,” he agreed but had already noted the absence of Steve. “Where's Steve? Don't tell me he had lunch without me? That would be late payback for the times I forgot...”

“Our librarian had time for him now. He has access to the star charts to our whole sector. It might take him some time to get through all of them.”

It bugged him. It wasn't like Steve to not even check in with him –- even if their hosts had shown themselves to be very welcoming. They hadn't put caution to the wind.

Would Steve not try and see him?

“I would like to check in on him.”

Va'naa'r nodded amiably. “Of course, Tony. We can go by the library later.”

He involved Tony in a discussion about the station's life support systems and Tony kept his nagging worry locked tightly away. He was going to find out about Steve.

When later he was told that Steve was too busy to see him though, he knew something was wrong.

He had an idea _what_ was wrong then too. Because right after he was led out of the prelate's office did he see a similar green-skinned alien enter the office from the anteroom. He only caught a glimpse, but he had been on the lookout for this man since they'd run into each other at the races.

Steve had been right.

Something was going on.

* * *

His first attempt to leave his rooms in the evening to see Steve ended with his aids showing themselves to be guards more than benevolent guides.

“Where's Steve?” he asked angrily. “What did you do to him?”

“Your companion has returned to your ship. He will journey on without you.”

“What?” It was preposterous. It was inconceivable. Anybody who knew anything about Steve Rogers would know that he wouldn't leave anyone behind –- not when the person in question hadn't tried to kill his best friends moments before. Tony _knew_ what it took to become the one to be left behind. And he hadn't done anything this time. Steve, if he had been unhappy with him, could have stayed behind on Asgard. He hadn't. He could have stayed back _on Earth_ and he hadn't. Tony was still figuring out how that had happened or why it was working out, but he didn't need to understand Steve's reasoning for coming along now that they were here. There was no doubt about it: they were in this _together_.

“He will leave the planet without you.”

“And nobody thought to inform me?”

“We understood you were happy here.”

“Happy? I've been here for less than a day,” he hissed. “Get me Prelate Va'naa'r.”

“The prelate will see you as soon as it's convenient.”

The door shut in his face and he found himself in the suite alone. The first thing he did was take apart a panel to get access to the station's computer.

“FRIDAY?” he asked into his comm link. “Little help here?”

Nothing.

No blib.

No static.

It took him a moment to realize it wasn't the comm link that was down.

The armor was offline, nanites sleeping like the dead.

He hadn't even ripped off the plastic from the wall panel completely yet when the door opened and Va'naa'r stepped in, smiling the same benevolent smile he'd been shown Tony since his arrival. With Tony standing right behind the door they were suddenly toe to toe.

“Tony,” he said. “I am sorry, that your friend simply let you behind.”

“Yes, very tragic,” he said scathingly. “What did you do with Steve. And I swear if you harmed a hair on his head I'm going to take this station apart.”

“Oh? With what?” Va'naa'r and for the first time a bit of the wolf showed itself behind the sheep's facade. “ _Iron Man_.”

“Are you sure you have the wrong guy? Not all humans are Avengers, you know? Not all Avengers are human for that matter. Keep an open mind.”

“What brought you to my doorstep, Tony? Was it that little minx Nebula? She's dead, you know. We killed her when she tried to interfere with what we were doing on the planet. She wanted the source of our power.”

The source?

Nebula had been looking for signs the Infinity Stones were reforming.

“And when was that? Two _arns_ ago?” He had already figured out that an arm was shorter by a few weeks than an Earth year. That meant they were claiming Nebula had been killed long before their last contact. Nebula was alive. But she'd gone off the grid.

The way he would have if his life was on the line.

Smart assassin girl.

“So you are here looking for her?”

“No,” he said, “I'm a human explorer who appeared at the wrong time in the wrong solar system.”

Va'naa'r's hand shot up to touch the nanite compartment. “Don't lie to me, Tony. You're Iron Man. You and the daughters of Thanos defeated him. It's said you and the Kree warrior held the gauntlet and wished the Infinity Stones away. What did you do really? How do we find them?”

“Iron Man stepped down,” he said and gritted his teeth. “And I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Permanently stepped down,” Va'naa'r said. “With the dampeners in place all over the station, your technology won't work. It's a smart system –- armor bleeding from our skin when you need it. Quite wonderful. You must be very smart to come this far despite the limitations of Earth.”

A hand came up to touch his face and his eyes narrowed. “I'm too old to be on the receiving end of that kind of harassment without fighting back, sweetheart,” he growled and took the smart scientist by surprise with a well-aimed elbow to the rips and a quick kick that he had learned from Natasha. Va'naa'r gasped and then laughed.

“Guards!” he called and the door opened. Tony gave them a wide berth and retreated towards the settee. With as many bodies blocking the door there was no way to get out. “You will be an amazing asset when you come around. I want to learn all you know about the Stone, but the last day showed me you have a lot more to give. We do value knowledge here, Iron Man. And you will fit right in.”

He sucked in a deep breath and sat down. “Yeah, sure, let's lie to ourselves.”

“Your companion has left the station with the spaceship. There's nowhere to go.”

One of the guards remained by the door when Va'naa'r and the rest filed out.

“So, just you and me? Think you can convince them they have the wrong guy?”

He was mulling it over in his head. The armor dampener couldn't have been set up across the station or he would have noticed it before.

“What happened down on the planet.”

“Weather experiment,” the guard said in a well-practiced monotone.

“Uh-huh. How long has your prelate been hoping to become the next Thanos?”

The guard's eyes narrowed. “You don't know what you're talking about. Our people aren't like Thanos.”

“Well, I sure as hell hope so. Nobody needs a repeat of that.”

The nanites stirred. Something was affecting the dampening field from outside the room.

Steve? FRIDAY?

It was time to get out and make his own move.

“He said low caste is still on the planet? What does that mean? People he doesn't like stay down there?”

“The resistance on the surface will break. They can't hold out with the endless winter. They will accept the rule of Ta'a Prime when their final food reserves run out.”

“You're a chatty one,” Tony said. “The last guys who kidnapped me weren't chatty. I had to do all the entertaining until the armor could barge in. And that wasn't easy, being tied to a bed frame.”

More nanites were stirring and Tony tested what they could do. It would perhaps be enough for a gauntlet.

“You admit it then? You're the one who killed Thanos?”

“I admit nothing but that I'm a devilishly handsome smart guy who ends up being held against his will more often than you'd think, okay.”

The guard watched him dispassionately.

Tony was okay with that. The hand that rested beside his thigh had just been encased by bleeding red metal and the synapses were re-configuring to give him control of at least part of his systems. _FRIDAY_ , he thought at her. _Take down the dampening field while daddy is busy and then tell me where Steve is._

He caught on the thought of Steve.

If anything had happened to him Tony wouldn't be responsible for his actions.

His hand shot up and he fired a non-lethal repulsor blast before the guard knew what was happening.

“See?” he said to the unconscious. “Always ends like this. I'm not sure why people bother. Locking me up never works out.”

He made short work of the door, but to his disappointment, the nanites didn't stir. The dampening field seemed to be working out here too.

“That fucker must have spent all this time scanning us to find the best way to distort my armor.”

He ran down the corridor, not sure where he needed to go. Far away from the prelate's office sounded good, but his main concern was finding Steve.

“Where would I imprison a super soldier if I were an alien scientist tyrant?”

He used the gauntlet to rip open a door and run down the next corridor that he knew would lead to the staircases and elevators. His best chance right now was to either find a way to hack an information terminal from in here –- or get out and come back with the full power of _Joyride_. If that hadn't been dismantled yet.

Trying not to dwell on the variables that were out of his control he got ready to ambush the next guard that was about to round the corner. Up ahead he heard gunfire and he ducked out of the way, bolted towards the stairs -- and came face to face with Steve who toppled him over and protected both of them with a shield.

“There you are!” Tony cried.

“What's that supposed to mean? They told me you wanted me to leave! And I...” Steve had his arms around Tony shield protecting them both against more gunfire. But this wasn't protection. This was a hug.

And embrace.

Tony looked up.

Steve looked distressed.

“They wanted me to leave without you and after that Va'naa'r had been so obviously trying to get your attention...”

Steve was still holding him pressed against his chest in a vice-like grip. He was shaking, really upset. But they had to move. Steps sounded loudly behind them. Guards would stumble upon them from all sides.

“They told me you were about to leave without me,” Tony said and patted his shoulder.

“They were lying.”

“I know. I knew right away... You didn't think that I...?”

They weren't even looking at what they were doing, falling into motion together as they had countless times before, taking out a group of guards without even looking

“I knew he wanted you to stay,” Steve spat. He had grabbed Tony be the wrist and was pulling him along. “It was obvious.”

“Yes, but what does that have to do with anything? I wouldn't have stayed with him for whatever sinister plan he'd had. And where are we going?”

“ _Joyride_ ,” Steve said shortly. It was clear that he'd had a _day_.

“With you? Always.” Tony agreed, saw Steve blink at him for a second. “How is the ship here?”

“They returned me to the surface as soon as I woke up after a nights rest. Down there... It's prison camps, Tony. They say it wasn't always a planet covered in ice and snow.”

“I know. I think I know what's at play here. The dear prelate didn't want me for the way I flutter my eyelashes, he's after Nebula and the Infinity Stones.”

Steve stopped. “It's an Infinity Stone?”

“It's an Infinity Stone doing whatever it pleases, yeah. It's not being controlled.”

“I thought we got rid of them.”

Tony shrugged. “Things like that? Older than the universe? Who knows if the universe can exist without them.”

Alarms sounded around them.

“Tony, we need the armor now. If we can't go through the corridors, let's take a shortcut.”

He pointed at the out hull.

“You want me to rip a hole into a space station?” Tony asked. “Because that's _cool_ as far as retirements go, but you need air too.”

Steve indicated his suit. He had a breather out. “You'll get me back in before a freeze, Tony. I know you will.”

“Okay,” he said, humbled by the trust. “Tell me where I need to go first.”

With his usual precision, Steve told him exactly where _Joyride_ was waiting for them, cloaked and out of sight from the incoming pods.

“Alright.” Tony took a deep breath and as a first order of business used the gauntlet to rip apart the power systems of this part of the station, hoping to take out the dampeners along with it. Finally, he felt more of the nanites stir.

“It will only be seconds until auxiliary power jumps in,” FRIDAY warned the moment the helmet closed around his head. He had already calculated the seconds, ripping with both hands through the yard-thick outer hull of the station. Steve was holding on to a banister, waiting for the moment he would be pulled towards the vacuum.

When it happened it happened fast.

Tony could barely resist the pull himself, but he caught Steve before he could be ripped away from him and navigated both of them down and towards the gravitational pull of the planet. The _Joyride_ uncloaked and the hatch opened to let them in. It took a long moment before depressurization was complete and the compartment filled with oxygen.

His helmet retracted he dared look at Steve's pale face.

“Alright?”

“Yes, give me a moment.”

“We might not have a moment,” Tony reminded; the _Joyride_ shook with the first impact of a blast and Tony stumbled through the hatch and into the bowel of their ship to the pilot seat. “Take us away FRIDAY?”

“Down to the planet. Let's use the gravitation to give us a boost.”

Did he have enough data on the planet's gravitational fields to attempt it? Perhaps not. But right now they needed to get away.

He was still thinking that when the blast of a cannon hit their shields and took them out. He tried to reinitialize them as quickly as the system would go, but they were too close to reentry already and a transportation pod out of control or aimed to do damage, crashed into their side; they were hurtling down towards the icy surface of the planet and there was only so much a good pilot could do.

* * *

They crashed somewhere on the northern hemisphere of the planet where ice was thickest. At least that was the best estimation Tony could come up with. He'd taken a hit despite the armor, but Steve was worse off.

During the crash, he had broken his left arm. A cut on his cheek was bleeding. Tony helped him to his feet and found somewhere for him to sit down. The main hatch of _Joyride_ had been ripped open by the impact and snow, ice and wetness were invading.

“We're not in any immediate danger. The cloak is working again and FRIDAY set up the shield. But it's going to get cold in here.”

“Don't let me freeze to death,” Steve said dryly. “Not freeze at all, please.”

Tony looked around and realized how familiar this must be to someone who had gone down in the cockpit of a plane to wake up decades in the future.

“I came to rescue you and that's still what I'm going to do.”

“Rescue _me_?” Steve asked incredulously but took the blanket Tony handed him without hesitation. “I was coming to rescue you.”

“Yeah? And you did,” Tony shot back, not interested playing a game right now. He rummaged through another compartment, found another blanket.

He set it out and made Steve sit down beside him, pulling a med kit with him from the small med-bay.

“You didn't need me.”

“It wouldn't have had anywhere to run to without you,” Tony argued, because _I need you_ sounded too needy.

Steve hissed when he made him move the arm. He took readings with FRIDAY's help and followed her instructions. It took him a moment to bandage up the arm and make a sling so Steve could keep his arm still.

“You're good at this.”

“He tends to his own injuries often,” FRIDAY supplied in an attempt at being helpful.

“Thank you, FRIDAY,” Tony said when he saw Steve's frown deepen.

“You really don't like asking for help.”

“I would have asked for help, Steve. I was about to come for you. When I found out they had separated us on purpose I thought...”

“What?”

“I thought they might have killed you,” Tony admitted. “I didn't allow myself to believe it, but... Did you really think I would have just stayed with that... on his...?” He gesticulated and let himself sink down on the blanket beside Steve.

“No, when they told me you wouldn't be joining me on the ship I knew they were lying. As if you'd give up your girl without a fight. He played into my doubts that first day. I don't know it, but he must have guessed. I'm not your first choice of a companion and I know you've given me every possibility to drop out at any time because you want to push further and further. I don't think you even want to go back.”

“What?” Tony asked. His heart was beating fast. “You thought I didn't want you here? I made you your own space suit and brought you to the moon. We were having fun!”

“I know but...”

“But what? Do you want to leave now?” Which was a stupid question considering they were sitting in the middle of their broken down spaceship and had nowhere to go. But all his own doubt were doing somersaults. He had known that Steve would decide he no longer wanted to travel with him “Why did you come with me in the first place?”

The blanket wrapped around his shoulders and Steve's good arm pulled him in for a kiss. It came so suddenly that he nearly fell overall emotions tying themselves together into a knot of adrenaline and flight instincts and he forgot to breathe.

“Because I _love_ you, you idiot! And you don't even see me. Ever since we started talking again –- after everything, I mean. I thought there was a chance now and then you go and don't even want to stay on earth anymore...”

Dazed he let the words wash over himself. “You love me?” he asked when Steve finally paused to take a deep breath.

“Yes, and I'm not taking it back. I'm sorry you don't feel that...”

Tony grabbed Steve's face with both hands, drawn a yelp from him when he jostled his injury, but right now that didn't matter. He kissed him. And Steve kissed back, wrapping him in an embrace and the blanket with only the one good arm.

They kissed, in the cold, icy air that soon would be more than uncomfortable. Neither of them cared right now.

All that counted were the kisses, the breath flowing between them, the warmth they were building up to.

“Why didn't you say anything?” Tony whispered. “I was so proud I had finally worked past all the issues.”

“I'm an issue?” Steve asked, pained, but not moving away. His lips were grazing the side of Tony throat.

“I... no... please, don't stop kissing me,” Tony begged, although he was half convinced that he was trapped by the powers of the Reality Stone. “I mean I wanted you to see me as someone important so badly. I wanted you to...”

“I want you to see me,” Steve whispered hotly.

“I carried a torch for you since I know what that meant, okay? And my dad he never shut up about you. And then you're there and it's all complicated and... I thought we would never talk again.” The words were just bubbling out of him, but his hands hadn't stopped moving and he hadn't noticed the nanites retreating back into the compartment and taking the armor with them. They were touching, body to body, with fabric between them an nothing more. He couldn't stop touching and kissing. “I thought you would go back to Earth and then I would only remember how good it had been traveling with you.”

“I thought you were still uneasy around me,” Steve whispered, husky and low. “I love you. I've missed you for years. Then you were gone. Then you were back. Then Thanos. Tony? I need you and I want you with me. I want to go where you go. Don't run out on me and I swear I will never, ever leave you behind again, okay?”

He moans, both because this was becoming too much, and because Steve's leg had pressed between his, rubbing against him in the most delicious way. His genius brain screamed: _You can't have sex with him now. He's in pain and people are coming for you._ But what was he to do? Despite the heat, he was feeling incredibly hot. His existence had narrowed down to nothing but the pulsing throb of his own need.

“Okay,” he breathed against Steve's lips, “no running from you. Please, I'm not running.”

Steve hissed in pain, as he leaned down to hard on Tony with his bad arm. But his other hand had found its way under Tony's waistband, and Tony had no fucking complaints.

“I love you,” he whispered. “I never thought I would say it, but I do.”

And Steve kissed him so hard that all breath got stuck in his throat.

It didn't matter anymore that the floor was too hard and the temperature uncomfortable. It only mattered that they were here together, that Steve was whispering his name like a plea, like a curse and Tony maneuvered them until Steve was on his back. His pants were down already and Steve hands exploring skin that was much warmer than it had any right to be under these blankets.

“Let me,” he whispered and freed Steve's erection, pumping it a few times before he brought them together and stroked them side by side.

Everything dissolved into the feeling, the hands that roamed, the hips that pushed into his with a demand that needed to be met; it dissolved into kisses that took his breath away and clouded his mind. The ship wrapped around them like a cloak, like a warm blanket. Reality shifted until Tony was sure he was dreaming. Had he been killed? Had any of this happened? Was it all a sweet dream. But there was Steve grounding him with his body and smell and all that bottled up emotion that had exploded out of them like Champagne from a well-shaken bottle.

They gasped in unison and then everything fell away. Their fingers were entwined. They were both breathing heavily.

“Tony?” Steve whispered into his hair.

“Sorry,” he whispered and tried to take his weight off of Steve's body.

“It's warm,” Steve said. “It's warm outside.”

Tony pulled the blanket away from his head to see. And Steve was looking up to the broken hatch and no more snow was falling in.

And when Tony tried to extract himself, pull his hand away, something fell to the floor with a clatter.

It was red round and shiny.

A perfect red stone.

“Holy shit,” he said.

They stared at it together, then Tony kissed Steve to test if this was still all real.

Together they put themselves together and got out of the hatch.

Around their spaceship in a small circle of reality, it was summer. The grass green and flowers were blossoming. Two yards out were thick walls of snow.

“Did we just find an Infinity Gem?” Tony asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

“We called it,” Steve corrected.

“There's a scary thought,” Tony said, shaky now from more than the sex they'd just had.

“Well done,” someone called from the direction of the snow.

The armor sprang up on its own, but when he saw who was emerging there, he laughed. “You have some nerve, lady, leaving your cryptic as fuck messages.”

Nebula had emerged over the edge, dressed like a stone age hunter with anachronistic technological implants. He blue skin stood out against the snow.

“I didn't know you'd come. I looked for that Infinity Stone for weeks in all this ice and snow and you come and get it? You're unbelievable.”

Tony pointed at Steve. “Thank him and we'll never tell you how we did it.”

“In part,” Steve said amiably, “because we have no idea what just happened.”

* * *

All it took to help the planet was to take the stone away.

The moment they had repaired the _Joyride_ and set off into space, the snow began to melt. From space, it looked like the planet was turning from wide into muddy brown with blue patches in between.

“They can rebuild now.”

“And we better get this away, before the people on that space station have regrouped.”

Nebula was going through their compartments. She had her own ship hooked up to the _Joyride_ for the moment, but they all knew they weren't going to continue their search together. It was too dangerous to have more than one stone in a place at a time.

And as they had learned now, Nebula had already found the Space Stone.

“I make you a deal,” Nebula said and slunk into Steve's chair in the cockpit. She pulled the Space Stone from a breast pocket. “We trade. You take this one. Use it to get wherever you want. I'll take reality and I'll use it to keep out of sight for however long I need to.”

Tony thought it over.

But Steve who had silently stood behind his share was the one who took the Space Stone and said: “Deal.”

There hadn't been time yet to talk or plan –- or even decide if any of the kissing and touching would happen again –- but they were still in this together and they were still going far beyond the reaches of known space.

They sent Nebula on her way back towards Gamora and her friends later and watch her go.

“We're never going to tell her how we called that stone, okay, Steve?”

“Do you want to try and call another?” Steve suggested with a smile so mild it should have been impossible. Steve was holding the Space Stone in his hand. “What now? We're retired, right?”

“No heroics,” Tony agreed. “We find a place to hide it. We protect it. We do what we do. Like old men settling down with picket fences.”

“In a spaceship,” Steve added.

“In a spaceship,” Tony nodded. “Elsewhere would you build your fences?”

“It sounds like you want to settle down with me. Or not ever settle down, but with me, I can't tell.”

“Let's find out,” he said in a husky tone and kissed Steve on the lips.

 _Space_ , Tony mused, _had just become a lot more fun – and this whole toad trip an even greater adventure._


	3. Home Among the Stars (Retirement Plan For Two)

_Years Later_

The spaceship arrived through a Stark Drive Portal above the planet. Tony had caught sight of it on his monitors even before FRIDAY announced: “Boss, we've got visitors.”

“Let's greet them, huh,” he said and got to his feet, taking the flight of winding stairs two steps at a time to reach the upstairs living room. He had designed it to look like the living room in the Malibu Point mansion, but this one wasn't facing the ocean –- although that wasn't far away. On a silent day when the wind was blowing you could hear the ocean waves from their porch. But when you sat in the living room in the evening you could see the three differently sized moons rise, shining their lights on whoever sat on the sofa, where they took their dinners together every night –- at least when they were both at home.

Tony walked out of the foyer and stepped out into the garden. Here it was nearly always dusk, but their garden was well lit. To his right, only a few feet away, the _Joyride 9_ was waiting on her parking pad, ready at any time to take them away to new planets or to wherever they were needed.

The arriving spaceship descended slowly, landing perfectly beyond the circumference of their outer shield. “Open the front gate, FRIDAY,” he ordered.

The shield pulled away, opening the small road that led up to their front door.

Two figures climbed from the spaceship after it landed, one launching itself into the air again right away to fly towards him. The second was following at a sedate pace. It was Carol and Rhodey walking beside her.

A third figure appeared inside the still open hatch. Carol had told them that Vision had indicated an interest in coming along for a visit.

Tony straightened his shoulders and walked to meet them halfway.

It had been years since he'd seen his friend and he knew, he'd changed. The hair at his temples had grayed. He was even now wearing reading glasses.

Steve still told him he was handsome every day, the flatterer.

“Tony!” Carol landed by his side and hugged him. “We bring coffee.”

“I hope so,” Steve's voice called from the door and when Tony looked over his shoulder, he found his partner had appeared there and was watching their reunion, arms crossed and relaxed. “He's making do with the Dorvillian stuff, but he gets cranky without real coffee.”

“I do not,” he complained.

Rhodey had reached him, looked him over. Tiny signs of the years that had passed were visible in his face too, but he was still the good old Rhodey. Tony hugged him before he could even make himself say a word. “You crazy son of a bitch. You built a house in space.”

Rolling his eyes, but keeping a hand on Rhodey's back he corrected: “I built a mansion on an alien planet. We needed somewhere to live.”

“My god,” Rhodey called. “Both of you developed a taste for domesticity?”

“Are these LEDs?” Carol asked and she sounded charmed. “How are you doing the light up?”

“Oh,” Tony said and spread out his hands. “No, that's the flowers. In the three hours of full sunlight we get here they story the energy and then they glow.”

Their visitors startled. “Flowers?”

“Amazing what you find out here. You'll see. When the sun comes up, the grass is a bright yellow. The landscape is simply amazing.”

“You sound like you've gone native.”

“This home now, Rhodey.” Tony smiled at Steve. They'd made their home together. “The retirement plan.”

A bellowing howl grew and echoed above them and a shadow flew over their heads, prompting their guests to jump and duck or take defensive positions. The howl quieted into series of clicking yelps and then light purring and the small ball of fur and feathers peered carefully over the edge of the roof at the newcomers, turning its little head at a near 180° angle. The dark round eyes were wide open.

“Don't worry,” Tony said, “Eve isn't used to visitors from outer space that aren't Steve and me.”

Steve saw that Rhodey was still not sure what to think of the colossal noises that had come from such a tiny animal. “She lives on our roof. We call them Myans because when they purr it sounds a bit like they’re repeating the sound. They look like miniature lynxes with shiny green feathers and wobbly bat-like wings. Tony can tell you more. He's been monitoring the near-by population.”

“Sounds amazing.” Rhodey didn't sound sure about that at all.

“They're little predators,” Tony continued. “Keep the vermin out. She's very sweet tempered.”

“At least when Tony feeds her scraps,” Steve grumbled in what only Tony knew was the continuation of an old squabble.

“You're just jealous she let me pet her.”

“I am just not keen on finding our dinner ravaged and food spread all over the house again.”

“Little predator,” Tony agreed with too much cheer.

Turning to their guests, Steve said: “Come on in. We're ready for breakfast and you guys must be tired.”

“It's morning?” Rhodey asked startled. He had slung an arm around Tony's shoulders as if he was reluctant to let go.

“Tell me about Earth?” Tony said. “How's everyone? Pepper? Peter?” He turned to Vision who had approached and saw FRIDAY close the shield around the gate without prompting. “How are things with Wanda?”

“You can tell us all over some food,” Steve said and received Carol's hug with a smile and then ushered Rhodey and Vision in who were still busy inspecting their garden.

When Tony reached him, he held him back. “We're receiving guests in our little house in uncharted territories,” he whispered and kissed Tony, softly.

“You make it sound like we got married on the frontier.” He leaned up to kiss Steve on the cheek. “What's for breakfast darling?”

Steve hugged him close. “I had plans for you, but I can wait until I have you alone next time.”

“The house is big enough,” he whispered with a small wink.

“Come on, lovebirds!” Carol called out to them. “We're hungry and we want to hear all about what you two have been up to or the last few months!”

With a smile, Steve took Tony's hand and led him back into their house. They had guests to entertain.

If the small vegetable patch behind the house that Steve tended with care could be left alone long enough, then perhaps it was time for a short vacation on Earth next?


End file.
